Burning Love
by spiffytgm
Summary: It seems like all the women in a certain cop's life are in need of some help lately. What happens when someone close to Joe is in trouble and he can't be there for her? Completely OC, Not a Tart... Steph belongs with Ranger...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, it's me again. Now that I know where Ram and Gayle are headed (and thanks to a not so gentle nudge from Margaret) I thought, Who's next? What other woman of Joe's needs to find some Merry Man Happy? Actually, the thought has been spinning in the back of my mind ever since she mentioned it. Here's one of the choices. I'll post the other two within the next few days. Let me know which one you think should follow Carma... Enjoy! :-)**

**BTW - All Characters you know and love come from the Brilliant mind of Janet Evanovich. All mistakes are mine. The only thing I make from this is the warm fuzzy feeling I get when I read the reviews.**

"I can't frigging believe this!" I heard him yell and looked up from where I was currently talking to Carl Costanza and his partner Big Dog. There was Trenton Police Department detective Joseph Morelli with his hands on his hips, looking like he was going to pop a vessel at any second. I looked at Carl, and he nodded at me.

I ran to Joe and wrapped my arms around his waist. I really needed a hug. "It's not my fault." I sobbed into his chest. His reputation has taken a few nasty hits lately, but I knew he would always be there for me.

I know what you're thinking and Eww. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Cathy Salvino, and Joseph Morelli is my big brother. We were currently standing in front of my lawyer's office, watching the remains of my Dodge Caravan as the flames are being tamed by the Trenton Fire Department.

Joe pulled me away from his chest and looked me over from head to toe to make sure I wasn't hurt. "What the hell happened, Cathy?"

I got a tissue from my purse and tried to wipe off some of the snot I seemed to have spread across his shirt. He was going to need to change that, soon. "I was inside talking to my lawyer about getting a divorce from that PIG I married, when her secretary called and said the police were here asking for me. I went out to the lobby, where Carl told me that my car was on fire out front! I know that bastard did this Joe."

Joe looked shocked. "What do you mean you were talking to a divorce lawyer? What's going on, Cathy?"

I really didn't want to go into it out in the middle of the street, but he wasn't going to let up. "You know that redheaded waitress at Pino's?" The glazed look in Joe's eyes when he thought about the curvy young girl in question made me want to toss my cookies. "Well, guess who came to my house to tell me that she was knocked up." My eyes started to tear up. Pauly and I have been trying to get pregnant for almost a year now. I guess the problem wasn't with his little swimmers. "Anyway, he told me that he would never divorce me. I think he did this to scare me away from talking to an attorney."

Joe looked like he was about to kill his brother in law. Part of me was really glad my big brother would look out for me like that. Another part realized that he couldn't afford another departmental reprimand right now. "Joe, promise me you're not going to do something stupid? I don't want you to get in trouble on my account. If he torched my car, Carl and Big Dog will put him in jail. I just want to divorce him."

Joe brushed a kiss to my forehead. "I won't go looking for him, Cathy. If he causes you any problems, though, then Anthony and I are going to have some words with him. I have to go undercover for a while, so I can't be here to keep you safe." He ran his hands through his hair and looked like he just took a big bite of something sour. "I know I'm going to regret this, but would you mind if I got you a bodyguard for a while. I know someone who owes me big."


	2. Chapter 2 - Eating Crow

**Well, here we go again. Thank you for the overwhelming response to the first chapters of the two stories. I want to thank Margaret for saying those magic words to me... "What if". That was the beginning of this series. Hopefully you'll enjoy the ride as much as I do.**

**I don't normally switch back and forth between POV's, but this chapter really needed it. I have a feeling that Stephanie won't leave me alone until she has introduced Cathy to her knight in shining (Rangeman Issued) armor. Once that happens, I should be able to keep it to one POV.**

**Anyway, let's get rolling. The standard disclaimer applies. All the really cool kids get to sit at Janet Evanovich's table. I just do their homework from time to time. I make nothing from this story other than the warm fuzzy feeling I get from reviews. The mistakes are all mine.**

JPOV

I dropped Cathy off at home and drove up to the last place in Trenton I ever wanted to go to. I would walk in with my usual cop swagger, but these guys aren't easily impressed. In fact, I'm pretty sure they'd laugh at me. To my face. Loudly. I walked up to the goon at the front desk and asked to speak with the man himself. After speaking softly into the phone, I was instructed to wait for an escort. A frigging escort. Did they really think this place was the Pentagon?

After being stared at for ten minutes by the gorilla at the desk, the door to the right of the stairs opened up and the gangbanger stepped out. This guy is truly the scariest son of a bitch here. The other guys are giant musclebound jerks suffering from 'roid rage, but this one looks like he'll cut you just because he was in the mood. You'll probably never see him coming, either. I know they sent him because he doesn't speak English. They probably think they're really funny. Instead of pressing the button for the elevator, he holds the door open and waves me in like he's Vanna White. I looked at him and he held up five fingers. Great. Now I have to walk up to the fifth floor. I know they have cameras in the stairwell, so there is no way I can show any weakness.

I know I'm slowing down by the time we get to the third floor. I feel like I am going to throw up, but my face shows nothing and I'm still breathing normally, even if I am muttering under my breath. Through sheer force of will, I make it to the fifth floor. The gangbanger passed me on the fourth, and is again holding the door for me. I'm sure he's enjoying this, too. He leads me to a seating area and I sink into a chair and concentrate on getting my heart rate down out of coronary range.

I decide that it's a good thing that they leave me sitting there for a half an hour. Even if Rangers band of "Merry Men" as Stephanie calls them, keep walking by periodically to shoot me dirty looks. By the time Tank comes over to usher me into the office, I am no longer in danger of passing out. Ranger is sitting at his desk like the lord of the manor. He stands and offers me a handshake and a chair. "Morellli. What can we do for the TPD?"

The words stick in my throat. He doesn't look impressed by my silence. Finally, I manage to speak. "This isn't official business. I need to hire a bodyguard, and I need the scariest son of a bitch around."

Ranger raised an eyebrow and looked at me. "Are you looking for security around the clock, or a specific event? Our rates are competitive, but may prove to be outside your range, even with a TPD discount."

Oh, I bet he was just loving this. Unfortunately this is for my sister, and she's more important than my pride. "Look, as much as this pains me, it's for my sister. I'm going undercover tonight and she needs help. It kills me that I can't be there for her."

Ranger picks up his phone and places a call. "Can you come in, please." A moment later, there is a knock on the door. At Ranger's 'enter', my humiliation is both public and complete. Stephanie walks in the door and sits in the other visitor's chair.

She looks damned good in a black pencil skirt and Charcoal gray blouse with a wide sapphire blue belt and matching pumps. She was holding some sort of tablet. She smiled at me and said, "Joe, it's good to see you." She did seem genuinely pleased. We have a lot of history between us, and not all of it was bad.

Ranger interrupted my musings. "Before we can determine whether or not we can help you, we need to hear the whole story." Before I could begin to voice an objection, he continues. "Anything you say in here is confidential, although not privileged. If there is gossip, I can assure you that it won't come from this office."

I'm sure that half the Burg already knows that Cathy's car got torched in front of a divorce lawyer's office this morning. Telling Stephanie myself just means that she won't hear it from her mother first. "At approximately 11:15 this morning, an unknown person or persons set fire to my sister's car." It's a little bit easier if I try to keep it like a report, but Stephanie gasps. "My sister was unharmed, as she was not in the vehicle at the time. She was, however, in the office of a divorce attorney, beginning proceedings to terminate her marriage. Her husband has stated that he has no desire to divorce. Although the matter is under investigation, she believes that he may have started the fire in an effort to discourage her from pursuing this course of action. I am leaving my home tonight to begin an undercover operation. Normally, I would have her stay with me, but I don't want her left alone. I need to have someone there who can discourage her husband." There, it's done. I managed to get it out without choking.

Stephanie had tears in her eyes. If she considers you a friend, she will move heaven and earth to help you. I want to smile, because I know Cathy will be taken care of, but I don't want to give Ranger an excuse to make my life hell in the process. Stephanie asks me, "What happened? The last time I saw her, she and Pauly were trying to have a baby. She seemed so happy."

"Apparently Pauly succeeded while Cathy did not." I watched as the light dawned and she realized what I was telling her. I don't want to say anymore than that. If Cathy wants to tell Stephanie the rest, that's up to her. Stephanie looks like she is about to go into Rhino mode on Cathy's behalf.

Ranger went into business mode before Steph could start her rant. "I believe that we will be able to help you. It would be easier and more cost effective to move one of my men into her house for twenty four hours in order to do a threat assessment. The other option is to put at least six men in eight hour shifts running surveillance on both the front and rear of the house which is both more expensive and more visible. It is in her best interest to obtain a protective order against him and change her locks so that she is more secure. As I'm sure you are aware, without the protective order we can not legally prevent him from entering the residence."

He may be a bastard, but he does know his security. "Carl is already doing the paperwork for the protective order. I've talked to a judge who is willing to sign it, I just need to get her to the courthouse so that she can sign. How soon can your guy get there?"

Ranger nodded. "Transportation will be provided to the courthouse. I can have someone there as soon as we decide who would be most appropriate. Most likely within a few hours." As Ranger was talking, Stephanie was typing something on her tablet. The printer behind Ranger began spitting out papers. He turned and took them from the machine. After looking them over, he handed them to Stephanie. She looked them over as well, smiled, and handed the top sheet back to Ranger.

She handed the other papers to me. It was a straightforward contract, spelling out the terms we discussed. The only thing that worried me was that where the rate for services should be, it just said TBD. I can only imagine that later tonight they'll have a good laugh figuring out how far they can bend me over. I sign the contract, mostly because I have no other choice, and hand it back.

Ranger excused himself so that he could make copies for me. Steph put down her tablet and turned to me. "Don't worry, Joe. Cathy's in good hands. We'll take care of her."

I blew out a breath. "I'll kill Pauly if he lays a hand on her. I just wish I could be there for her. I really want the biggest, meanest SOB you can manage for her."

Stephanie only grinned. "Don't worry, I already have someone in mind. I'll take him over myself to introduce them and let her know what's going on."

Stephanie has a mean streak a mile wide sometimes. I have no doubt that Cathy will be protected. "Thanks, cupc, Stephanie, I owe you." I saw her eyes widen when I almost said cupcake. That could have been bad. Fortunately I stopped myself before it got all the way out. Ranger came back in with my copies of the paperwork, and we all stood. I shook Ranger's hand once again, and Steph offered to show me out. It figures that they'll let me use the elevator to go downstairs. I guess they're done screwing with me for today.

SPOV

Joe can really be an ass sometimes. I know the only reason Carlos didn't just tell him to leave was me. Then the jerk goes and almost calls me cupcake again after we agreed to help him. I walked him to the front door and stood by Junior as he left. As soon as he was gone, I went back upstairs. Carlos' door was open, so I walked in and closed it behind me.

Carlos watched me walk towards him with dark eyes and the corners of his mouth tipped up in an almost smile. I put a little extra sway in my step just for him. I sat on his lap and reached for the sheet of paper that we didn't hand to Joe. We put our foreheads together, and I let out a giggle. Carlos just put his arms around me and shook with silent laughter.

The image captured by the surveillance cameras in the waiting area clearly showed Joe looking like he was about to puke from climbing the stairs. There was also a note from Hector that Joe spent most of the climb, "Complaining more than our Angel does when she is out of Tastykakes."

Carlos put the page in the folder he started for Joe, along with the contract. He looked at me again. "Are you sure about this, Babe?"

I kissed him, just because I could. "He's babysat me before, so Cathy should be a breeze. Besides, Joe wants the biggest, meanest SOB we can manage. That would normally be either you or Tank, and you have more important things to do. I think he would be the next best choice."

Carlos just said, "Babe," then he picked up the phone and ordered my choice to come in.


	3. Chapter 3 - Getting to know you

**Thank you all so much for the responses. I was overwhelmed. Since so many of you wanted to know who Stephanie picked, here's the next chapter. :-)**

**I promise I'm working on Carma today. Hopefully I'll be able to post by tomorrow.**

**Any recognizable characters belong to Janet Evanovich. All mistakes are mine.**

He walked into the office not knowing what to expect. I felt a little sorry for him. He said nothing as he stood at parade rest in front of Ranger's desk, but he was clearly trying to think of anything he might have screwed up enough to warrant a summons to the principal's office from hell.

Carlos was enjoying watching the big guy squirm. "Have a seat." When he sat, I could see the tension drop a notch. Ranger didn't make it a habit of telling someone to sit before shipping them off to a third world country. He just handed them a pocket knife and a canteen and told them there was a car waiting downstairs. If he was really mad, you didn't even get called into the office. You just woke up wherever he decided to send you. "I have a new assignment for you." And just like that, he was tense again. I wanted to giggle at the sight, but I was still busy putting the information together on Cathy and Pauly that he would need to do the job.

"I need you to do a 24 hour threat assessment. Stephanie is putting the jacket together for you, and will take you to the site. She knows the parties involved, so any questions should go to her. Pack for a few days, but I want a report by 1600 tomorrow. You will be here in Trenton, so standard uniform fully dressed should suffice." I've been here long enough to know that fully dressed means the usual assortment of guns and knives.

I watched as he breathed a sigh of relief. He turned to me and said, "I'll meet you in the garage in ten." With that, he got up and left the room.

I got up to get the latest papers from the printer and start a new folder for him. I sat back down in Carlos' lap and started to arrange everything. "You enjoy watching them squirm, don't you?"

Carlos chuckled. "Gotta keep them on their toes, babe." He kissed me, and I headed down to the garage.

True to his word, ten minutes later we were rolling towards Cathy's house. He used the time to familiarize himself with the contents of the folder. When we got there, he decided to stay in the car to finish reading, then he was going to walk the perimeter. I told him to knock when he wanted to come in and headed to the front door.

Cathy was glad to see me and ushered me straight inside. We went into the kitchen and she offered me coffee. Once we were settled, she said, "You're not my bodyguard are you? Joe told me you would be bringing someone with you."

I laughed. "Cathy, I'm the last person I would want guarding someone. Your new best friend is still in the car reading your file. I just wanted to give you a heads up and let you know a little about what to expect. He's going to be staying with you for tonight at the least, and possibly longer. He's going to stick to you like glue for now. He will probably not let you open any doors for yourself. He's a good guy. Remember, I picked him myself. If you find yourself going crazy being stuck in here, call me before you do anything.

"We're going to take you to the courthouse to get your restraining order. Once we've done that, I'll leave you with him and go serve the papers on Pauly. Do you have any questions?"

Cathy looked like she didn't know whether to be upset or pissed off. "I can't believe this is happening to me. I don't really think I need a bodyguard. Pauly wouldn't hurt me physically, he doesn't even want to get divorced. Joe is just being overprotective."

I need to get her to agree to a bodyguard. If she agrees, things will go much smoother. "Cathy, it may not be a problem now, but what do you think would happen if that changed and you couldn't find Joe? If we help you now before there is a problem, then Joe can do his work without worrying about something happening to you." I was hitting below the belt, and I knew it. She would do this for her brother. I was saved from having to do any more fast talking by the knock at the front door. This is going to be good.

CPOV

I sat at the kitchen table while Stephanie answered my door. I was absorbing what she told me, but I knew she was right. Joe would worry about me if I didn't accept their help. I couldn't let him get distracted while he was working undercover. I still didn't think it was necessary, though. I could hear her talking to 'my new best friend' in the living room. He said something about calling Hector to install new locks and something about bars. He has a really nice voice. It is deep and melodious. There is a trace of an accent, but I can't tell where it's from. Definitely not New Jersey.

I wonder idly if my attorney made it to the courthouse to file the divorce papers. It's possible that she got stuck in the office with the police. Pauly is going to be mad if he's hit with divorce papers at the same time as the restraining order. He's never gotten physically violent with me, but this is a lot to deal with. I got up and headed to the living room. It's time to get this over with.

At 5'5" and 115lbs, I'm not a petite woman, but I suddenly felt like a munchkin. This guy is huge. He has to be at least 6'5", 240 pounds and all of it is muscle. I was so busy looking at his chest, that I almost didn't notice the tattoo. That would have been a shame, because it is a work of art. The entire thing is so detailed that it looks more like a photograph than a tattoo. The skull itself is black, and looks like it has been burned by the fire that licks along his own skull. I want to touch it. I am amazed by the amount of work that had to have gone into it.

Finally I manage to drag my eyes down to his. They are so dark brown that they almost look black. Most people would probably say they look empty, but they're not. Unless I miss my guess, I would say that he looks surprised by something. I can't break away from his gaze. I am fascinated.

Stephanie cleared her throat. I jumped and instantly the spell was broken. He quirked his lip up in a smile that could almost be described as a sneer. "See something you like, chere?"

I look at his tattoo again. "I would love to meet the artist who did this. It's beautiful." Before I even realize what I am doing, I start to reach out to trace the lines of the flames. Fortunately, I stop myself.

Both he and Stephanie look surprised. Stephanie shook it off first and said to me, "Cathy, this is Cal. He's your new best friend."

I held my hand out to him. When he took it, I said to him, "I think we're going to get along just fine."

SPOV

I have no clue what just happened. Cal usually scared the crap out of people. I hand picked him because he is big and intimidating. Cathy looked at him like he's a mystery she's dying to solve. This is probably going to come back to bite me in the ass.

Cal left his duffle bag in the living room, and we got into the SUV. The drive over to the courthouse was mercifully short and I used the time to call both Carl and Ranger to let them know we were on our way.

Carl met us in front of the courthouse. He gave Cathy the paperwork to sign and both he and I witnessed it. I got out with Carl and we went inside to get the protective order. I reminded Cathy to call me if she needed anything. Cal and Cathy left to go back to her house. As we walked up the steps to the main doors, Carl said to me, "Good choice. That is one scary bastard." I nodded and kept my mouth closed.

Once we got the protective order, I walked outside to see Ram and Slick waiting for me in another Rangeman SUV. I hopped in the back and said, "You guys ready to make Pauly's day?"

Ram grinned back at me from the passenger seat. "Gayle says he's a prick. I'm gonna enjoy this."

We found Pauly at the garage where he works as a mechanic. To say that he was displeased to be served with the protection order would be putting it mildly. Even though I was flanked by Ram and Slick, when I tried to hand him the paperwork he pushed me backwards. That by itself wouldn't be bad, but I tripped and slammed into a barrel of motor oil. I landed on my ass and was splashed from head to toe. Great. I do one favor for the Morelli family, and I am once again rolling around in filth.

On the brighter side, as soon as Pauly pushed me, Ram grabbed him, slammed him into the wall, and threw him on the ground. I'm pretty sure I heard one of his ribs crack when Ram dropped a knee in his back. He's going to remember that every time he breathes for the next few weeks. Slick had a horrified expression on his face as he helped me to my feet. I felt gross, and I'm sure I looked that way, too. Since Ram was currently kneeling on Pauly, I gave him the papers and let him finish serving them. I walked away towards the SUV, dripping with each step. They're just going to have to have it detailed when we get back to Rangeman.

When we pulled into the garage, I saw Carlos leaning against the wall by the door. Slick must have called him when I walked away. He had his 200 watt smile stretched across his face when I got out of the car. "Babe, you never disappoint." He checked me out from head to toe, probably looking for injuries. I saw his eyes darken. "Now if this was honey, I'd say you were on to something."

On impulse, instead of walking past him to the elevator, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself against every inch of his body. By the look on his face, he didn't see that one coming. Ram and Slick desperately tried to hide their laughter and raced past us into the building.

CPOV

When we got back to my house, I was surprised to see my front door open and some guy messing with my locks. Cal didn't look concerned, though, which I took as a good sign. Cal got out, walked around the hood of the SUV and opened my door for me. He said, "Hector will be finished with your locks in a minute" and led me inside. When we got to Hector, they did one of those complicated handshakes that guys do.

I looked at the duffle bag. Turning to Cal I said, "Let me show you to the guest room so you can put your things away.

Cal just smiled and said, "Couch is fine, ma'am. I would like for you to sleep in the guest room tonight. That way if someone comes looking for you, you won't be where they expect you to be."

"That really isn't necessary. I don't expect Pauly to do anything. I really only agreed to do this for Joe."

Cal wouldn't budge. "Be that as it may, ma'am, but until we're sure that there's no threat, I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Ok, I did agree to do this, I guess it won't hurt to listen. "Fine, but will you please stop calling me ma'am. It makes me feel like I'm a hundred years old. My name is Cathy." Cal won this round, but at least he didn't gloat. "I'm going to make dinner. Is there anything that you want?"

"I'm sure anything you make will be fine. I'm going to check out the house. Please don't open the door, Cathy."

I stormed off to the kitchen. I have the feeling we're going to be butting heads a lot.

**A/N I found it very amusing that by describing him as a big, scary SOB, most of you knew it was Cal. :-)**

**oh, and I found the tattoo that I would pick if I were crazy enough to do a flaming skull. I pinned it in my usual folder /spiffytgm/plum-diamond**


	4. Here we go again

**I told myself that once I was finished with Carma, I was going to take a couple of days of 'me time'. That lasted until noon. I kept thinking about what Cal should be like. Maybe I'll have better luck at the end of this one... **

**As always, the Characters that you know and love (and possible some that you don't love) belong to JE. All mistakes are mine. I make nothing from this other than the warm, fuzzy feeling I get when I read the reviews. ;-)**

I was in the kitchen making a lasagna, when someone knocked on the door. I walked into the entryway between the kitchen and dining room as Cal came down the stairs. "Stay there," he told me and went to see who was here. He opened the door and there was a second of silence. Then Cal said, "Crap" and jumped outside. I was torn between seeing what was going on, and staying where Cal told me to. I didn't have to wait long before he came back in the house, carrying my mother.

He laid her on the couch. I raced over and asked him, "What happened to my mother?"

He smirked. "Nothing that hasn't happened before." My mom started stirring, so Cal said, "I'll just go get her a glass of water and give you two a minute." He disappeared into the kitchen.

I knelt down in front of the couch and took my mom's hand. She opened her eyes. "What was that?"

"Are you ok, mama?"

She seemed confused. I bet Cal gets that a lot. "I was coming over to find out, then there was a skull." She shook her head and seemed to snap back into focus. "Mary Catherine Salvino, What is going on? I have been getting calls all day that your car caught on fire in front of a divorce lawyer's office, and then the Incredible Hulk answers your door, and I don't see Pauly anywhere. You have some explaining to do young lady."

"Mama that was Cal who answered the door. He's going to be staying with me for a few days." I can only answer one question at a time, and that seemed like the best one to start with. At least it was the question least likely to end in a lecture.

"What does Pauly think about this?"

"Pauly doesn't know yet."

"What do you mean Pauly doesn't know? There is a strange man staying in your house and you haven't bothered to mention it to your husband? What will the neighbors think about this?" Yep, that's my mom, Queen of the Burg Grapevine. Those busybodies say that _God himself couldn't get windows cleaner, wash whiter, or make ziti better than Mrs. Morelli_*. Being her daughter sucked sometimes. I know that there is no way I can measure up to mom. I'll never be that perfect, no matter how hard I try. This next part was going to be hard

"I'm divorcing him, so I don't care what he thinks."

"You're WHAT?" She yelled so loud that I was afraid that the windows would shatter and my head would explode. "You most certainly are not, young lady. Good Catholics don't get divorced. You take him back right now and stop this crazy talk."

"Mama, I am not taking him back. He got another girl pregnant. I'm pretty sure good Catholics don't do that, either."

I knew she wasn't going to listen to me. "You watch your mouth, young lady. You think men don't cheat? You made a vow before God to stay with him in good times and bad. You tell this Cal person that he can leave and work things out with Pauly."

"No, mama." I can't remember the last time I said no to my mother. "It's 2014, not 1914. I don't have to stay with a man who will get another woman pregnant. I got a restraining order to keep Pauly out. Cal is staying until we're sure that he isn't going to hurt me."

"Do you even know this man? What is it going to look like having another man move in while you're trying to fix your marriage."

"Mama, I'm not fixing my marriage. There's nothing you can do about this. Joey sent Cal here to protect me, and he's not leaving."

"Joseph sent that man here? Just wait until I have a word with him. We'll see who's staying here." It's a good thing Joe had to go undercover. He's not going to like that call. "I expect you at dinner tomorrow night." With that she got up and left, slamming the door. I have a feeling that I haven't heard the last word from my mother about this.

I got up to go back to the kitchen, but Cal was standing in the entryway, holding a glass of water. I'm sure he could see the look of frustration on my face. He lifted the glass of water in a salute and downed the contents. "That went well." I pushed past him and headed back to my lasagna.

Cal turned to me like he was going to ask me a question, when he was interrupted by a pounding at the door. I knew it wasn't my mother. No matter how mad she was, she wouldn't make a spectacle of herself by making all that noise. Cal just told me to stay there and went to get the door.

I heard Pauly shout, "Who the fuck are you?" so I went back to the entryway.

Cal stood blocking the door with his hands at his sides. "Mr. Salvino, you have a protective order placed against you which prohibits you from entering the premises while Mrs. Salvino is in residence." Wow, that sounded like he was all business. I guess it was all business since he's a bodyguard. He really does have a great voice.

Pauly wasn't going to let that stop him. "I don't give a rat's ass what she thinks she has. I want you out of my house, and I want to talk to my wife."

Cal just stood there blocking the door. "I'm afraid I can't do that, sir. I'm here for Mrs. Salvino's protection, and you're going to have to leave now."

I could picture Pauly turning red with rage on the other side of the door. "Look. This is my house, and either I'm going in there, or that bitch can get her fat ass out here." Fat ass? bitch? Me? He's lucky Cal is standing between us, or I'd kill him myself.

Cal clenched his fists and then loosened his hands again. Other than that, he didn't move. "Sir, I'm going to ask you one more time to leave the premises."

Pauly never did know when to quit. "I'm not going any" The rest of his words were cut off. Knowing Pauly the way I do, I'd say he probably tried to poke his finger into Cal's chest. Pauly is a big guy who works out regularly, but I'm pretty sure he's going to be no match for Cal.

Cal grabbed Pauly's hand and spun him around, twisting his arm behind him. He marched Pauly to his car and slammed him into the door. Keeping Pauly pressed against the door, he leaned in and said, "If I were you, I would read the protective order. Make sure you do what it says, because I really don't like giving warnings." He pulled Pauly back one more time and bounced him off his car again. Cal put one hand behind his back, and it wasn't until then that I saw the gun tucked into his waistband. He didn't draw the weapon, but he watched Pauly closely as he got into his car and sped away.

Dinner was ready at 6:00. Grandma Bella always had dinner ready at 6:00. My mother always had dinner ready at 6:00. Ever since I was a little girl, I was told that dinner should always be on the table at 6:00. I used to believe that the tablecloth would burst into flames if dinner wasn't sitting on it by 6:00, but that's only because my brothers told me that when I was young. It was strange to have Cal sitting at the table instead of Pauly, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"So was happens next?" I was curious as to what Cal thought would happen.

"Well, after dinner, I'll help you with the dishes."

I snorted at the idea of him doing dinner dishes. In my family, men did not wash dishes. Men finished eating and sat in front of the tv with a beer. "Thank you, Mr. Smartass. I meant with Pauly. Right now he's probably pissed that you handled him that easily. Do you think he'll come back?'

"Yes. You're right that he's mad at me. I don't know if he'll do anything tonight, but we'll see him by tomorrow for sure."

The rest of dinner was spent in a companionable silence. When he was finished, Cal carried his dishes into the kitchen. A minute later, I heard the water running. When it didn't stop, I got up and went in. Sure enough, Cal was washing dishes and loading them into the dishwasher. "Cal, you don't have to do that. You're a guest."

Cal shrugged a shoulder. "Cathy, I'm not a guest. I'm here to protect you. Besides, you cooked, so it's only fair." He took my dish from me and added it to the dishwasher.

Once the dishwasher was loaded and the leftovers were wrapped up and put away, we went into the living room. I turned on the tv, and Cal told me he was going to check out the house. After assuring him that I wouldn't open the door for anyone, he walked back upstairs.

When Cal came back downstairs, he checked all the windows in the house. Once he was sure that they were all locked, he went back outside. When he came back in, he sat on the couch and pulled a laptop from his duffle bag. I sat in my chair not really watching the tv. I was thinking about everything that had happened today. It was a little overwhelming, but not all of it was horrible. I would have paid anything to see my mother's face when Cal answered the door, though. I was aware that Cal was there in the room, but he seemed content working on his computer. I'm used to Pauly constantly talking to the tv or asking me to get him something, so this was a nice change of pace.

After a few hours, I decided to go to bed. I said goodnight to Cal. "Remember, Cathy, I want you to sleep in the guest room. If you hear any strange noises or if you feel uncomfortable for any reason, I want you to call for me. Don't turn on any lights. Keep your phone on the nightstand next to you, so that if I don't answer you, you can call the police."

His list of instructions got longer every time he told me. "Cal, surely this isn't all necessary."

"It's not necessary right now, it's only a precaution. Just think about it this way, in a few days this should all be over. You can do this for that long, and your brother will feel better. If it turns out that it is necessary, it will already be done."

There really was no point in arguing with him, so I headed upstairs.

***One for the Money**


	5. Visitor

**Sorry it took so long to update this, but summer is here, and we're getting ready for the end of the school year. A couple of quick notes... 1. I have no idea what a protective order in NJ entails, so we're using dramatic license. 2. I've had appointments at my salon just for full foils that have taken upwards of 4 hours, and I _always_ straighten my hair before an appointment. Trust me when I say my stylist appreciates it!**

**I'd also like to thank you for the reviews. I love hearing what you think!**

**Anyway, you know the drill... Belongs to JE, mistakes are from me... **

I woke with a start to the sound of something shattering. I have to admit the first thing I tried to do is turn the light on. Unfortunately, or fortunately as the case may be, I wasn't in my own bedroom and misjudged where the lamp was. I didn't fall off the bed, but it was close. I looked around for a second before I remembered where I was. Then I remembered everything that happened. "Cal?" I didn't shout, but he was at the door as soon as I said his name.

"You ok, chere?"

I nodded and said, "yes".

"Stay here and keep the light out. I'm going to check things out. I'll be right back." It was only when he turned to leave that I noticed the gun that was in his hand. Instead of scaring me, it made me feel safe. He closed the door, and I sat there and waited.

It's amazing how long time stretches out when you're waiting for something to happen. It felt like I'd been sitting there for hours. I heard the front door open, but I stayed where I was. I heard the front door close, and I still stayed where I was. I was starting to get a little bit jumpy by the time Cal came back upstairs.

He leaned in the doorway with his arms crossed. "If you want to come downstairs, you need to put some shoes on."

"Will my slippers be enough?" I happen to like my bunny slippers, but they're not exactly practical.

He looked at the slippers in question. "No. You can either wait here until I get your shoes, or I can carry you."

I wasn't about to sit in this bedroom any longer. The idea of him carrying me, although it might be interesting under different circumstances, wasn't something I wanted to think about right now. "Hang on a second."

I went into my bedroom and went to the closet. My everyday shoes were downstairs. The only thing I kept up here were dress shoes. There was nothing in here with less than a 4" heel. I reached in an grabbed the first pair I laid my hands on. When I walked out of the room and into the light, Cal took a look at my feet and couldn't hide his smile. I looked down at my feet to see what the fuss was about. I chuckled to myself. I'm sure I presented quite the image with my Eeyore pajamas paired with my sparkly silver party shoes.

I shrugged and headed towards the stairs. Cal got there before me and headed down first. When I got to the bottom, I headed to the closet by the door so that I could change into my sneakers. As soon as I got to the living room, I stopped in my tracks. There was glass everywhere. My eyes flew up to the window. There was a giant hole right in the middle of it.

I couldn't stop the whimper that came out of my mouth. I've never had anything like this happen to me before. Cal put his hand on my arm and I turned to him. He must have seen the look of distress because he told me, "Don't worry, chere. We'll have this boarded up in no time, and it'll be replaced tomorrow." Before I could answer him, there was a knock on the door.

Cal answered the door and let in Eddie Gazarra. He looked at me and said, "Hey, Cathy. Nice shoes."

I gave him a standard Italian hand gesture in greeting, and told him to stuff it. That made me feel surprisingly better, so I walked to the closet to exchange my heels for my sneakers. When I came back, Eddie and Cal were standing in front of the brick that had obviously done the damage. They were looking at something on Cal's laptop.

I walked over to see what they were doing. I peeked around Cal to see the screen. There was a grainy image of the walk in front of my door. On the side by the window, I could see a big blob. I guess they didn't get a good image of the pitcher, but I was pretty sure it was Pauly. "Couldn't you guys wait to watch porn?"

Eddie snickered. Cal looked at me and smiled. "Well, they were nice shoes." Eddie's snicker turned into a full blown laugh, which he tried to hide behind a cough.

Eddie finally got himself under control. He told Cal, "Send those images to my email. I'll have the report ready for you in the morning. There's not much we're going to be able to do, but I'll get a file started." He opened the door to leave, but instead held it open for someone carrying a sheet of plywood. "See you later, Cathy." he said as he left.

I stood there and watched, not knowing what to do. I asked if anybody would like anything. I know it sounded lame, but my Burg manners demanded that I offer. The guys that were working on my window declined, so I got a trash bag and my broom and started to clean up the glass.

Once the glass was cleaned up and my windows was boarded, the other men left, and Cal once again went around the house making sure everything was secured. By the time he made it back to the living room, I was vacuuming the floor. I turned off the cleaner and wrapped up the cord. Cal looked at me like I was doing something amusing. "Why don't you leave that until tomorrow. The rest of the night will probably be quiet, you should get some sleep."

I put the vacuum back in the closet. "It's done now. I don't think I'm going to be getting any sleep for a while." I sat in my chair, facing Cal. "Besides, my mother would think she failed as a parent if I didn't get that cleaned up tonight."

Cal leaned forward. "Why is that? Nobody is going to come over here. It's two o'clock in the morning. I don't understand it."

"It's simple really. Chambersburg is a relatively small neighborhood in a larger city. Everybody knows everyone here, and they treat gossip as a calling in life. It doesn't matter that nobody's really going to stop by for coffee and Danish at 2:00. If someone does for some reason and there's glass on the carpet, I failed and brought shame on my mother."

"Don't you ever want to tell them to stick it someplace unpleasant?"

"I think that's every girl's dream, but I never really had a good reason to. Not that it matters anymore, I'm going to be the talk of the town with this."

Cal shook his head. "Ok, what's the plan for tomorrow?"

I sighed mentally. "I have a hair appointment at 11:00. I have some errands to run in the afternoon, then dinner at my mother's house at 6:00."

Cal looked like he would rather be tortured by the enemy. "Your hair looks fine. Why do you need an appointment?"

I laughed. "It takes a lot of time to make it look like I don't do anything to my hair. Aren't you the least bit curious what goes on in a salon?"

He smiled. "I can honestly say no." I yawned. "Come on sleepyhead, time to go upstairs so we can have a fun day at the salon tomorrow."

The way he said it made me laugh. "Spoken at the speed of sarcasm. Good night, Cal."

"Good night, chere."

I went back up to the guest bedroom and fell immediately back to sleep. Morning came entirely too soon, but I had too much to do to stay in bed. I showered and dressed, then headed downstairs. About halfway down, I was hit by the most amazing smell. I followed my nose to the kitchen.

I found Cal in the kitchen, leaning against the counter drinking a cup of coffee. I got my own mug from the cabinet and poured a cup. The smell that was coming from the pot was so much better than normal coffee, that I stopped and just breathed it in. "What is this?" I asked. "This smells better than my Kona stash."

"This is Chicory. I grew up on it, and nothing else tastes the same." I doctored my coffee and took a sip. I couldn't help but close my eyes and moan. This was probably what heaven tasted like.

I could stand there all day and savor the coffee, but I had things to do. "Thank you, Cal. This is amazing." I opened my eyes and looked over at him. He had an indecipherable look about him. We locked eyes until it started to get uncomfortable. I turned away, and busied myself in the fridge. "What would you like for breakfast?"

There was another beat of silence as I got what I needed from the refrigerator. Finally he said, "Whatever you're having will be fine."

I set the ingredients out on the counter, and got the pan to make omelets. Wordlessly, Cal started chopping the peppers and onions while I beat the eggs and cream. I was impressed with the way he handled the knife. Breakfast was again comfortable, even if we did argue over the dishes.

Cal came upstairs after he finished the dishes. I was in the bathroom with the door open getting myself ready to go to the salon. He gave me a strange look and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Getting ready for my hair appointment."

"You get ready for a hair appointment by fixing your hair?"

I laughed, because I could see his point. I finished what I was doing and unplugged my flat iron. "As a matter of fact, yes. You have no idea how much time it saves to have my hair straightened in advance."

He shook his head. "Cher, I'm not even going to pretend I understand."

We got to the salon just before my appointment time. When I walked in the door, I was instantly furious. Pauly was sitting at the station next to my hairdresser. I immediately saw red and started yelling at him. "You can't be in here! You know I had an 11:00 appointment."

He looked at me with a smug expression. "It's a public place, honey. I had a 10:45 appointment."

Cal got between us before I did something I might not regret later on. I noticed that people were staring, but I don't know if it was me or Cal causing it. He backed me up towards the door. "He can't do that!" I yelled at Cal, because I still wanted to yell at Pauly.

Cal looked like he was no happier than I was. "Technically, he can. He says he had an appointment, it's a public building, and he was here before you, so he could argue that he didn't know you were coming in today. I know you don't want to hear this, but can you change your appointment to a different time?"

Oh, no. I was not about to let Pauly mess up my plans. "Do you know how long it takes to get five hours blocked out? I've had this appointment for months, and I'm not missing it."

Cal paled. "Five hours?" He swallowed. "We're going to be here for five hours?"

The look on his face was priceless. I tried to keep a straight face. "At least. Sometimes it takes longer, depending on what I'm having done." He closed his eyes and shuddered. My stylist came over to me, and I explained what the problem was. Fortunately, for the first part of the process, she was able to move us to one of the stations in the back that wasn't being used. Cal and I walked past Pauly, and I prepared to be pampered.

Cal sat in another empty seat across from us and watched with equal parts fascination and horror. Once all the foil was in, I sat next to him under the heat lamps. I couldn't help but poke at him a little. "Are you impressed so far?"

"Cher, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but she put an entire roll of aluminum foil on you, and there's still hair sticking out."


	6. a different perspective

**I read 21, and I needed to get my happy back, so I came here to see what Cal and Cathy were up to... Cal seemed to have a lot to say! :-) Hope you enjoy it, your reviews give me that warm, fuzzy feeling!**

**All the characters you know and love belong to JE. Any mistakes are mine.**

Cal POV

I think I know what hell looks like. It's not a battlefield. It's not a POW camp. It's filled with pink robes and aluminum foil. I've already been here for two hours and there's no end in sight. Cathy has been sitting in a chair chatting away with the woman who has been slowly filling her head with foil while she dyed Cathy's hair with a paintbrush. There's a slight possibility that when she's done, Cathy will be able to communicate with the International Space Station. The strangest part is the fact that both women seem to be enjoying themselves.

Every time another woman walks past me on the way to get her hair shampooed, I am treated to a strange look while they give me a wide berth. It's understandable. I don't exactly blend in here. I don't blend in most places, with the exception of Rangeman and Shorty's. I prefer it that way. Why does it seem like I always get the jobs that encompass all things female. Don't get me started on my little field trip to the maternity ward. At least I probably won't get a concussion here.

After my first hour here, I texted the office and requested relief so that I could grab lunch and report back to Ranger. I spent the next hour waiting for someone to show up. Cathy came and sat next to me while she spent some quality time under a contraption that looks like the love child between an octopus and the light that keeps the fries warm. As far as bodyguard gigs go, this one's not bad. At least she has a sense of humor. It figures that now the front door opened and Lester walked in. Fucker's probably been watching me through the door, waiting until it looked like I might not be bored.

I watch with amusement as all of the women in the place turn to watch as he heads this way. Half the women here are probably wondering what a baby with him would look like. That's fine by me, he can have them. He loves the attention. He saunters over to where we are while I explain to Cathy that I have to run out, but will most likely be back in an hour. She tells me to hurry back so that I don't miss the Brazilian Blowout. I'm about 99 percent sure that she means the one that doesn't involve wax. Just then Lester reaches us. Because it's fun to screw with him a little, I take her hand in both of mine and say, "Chere, I wouldn't miss being here for your Brazilian for the world." Cathy's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't give up the secret. I gave her a quick wink, and I knew she understood what I was doing. I stand and soak in Lester's look of slack jawed shock. That just made this whole trip worthwhile. I introduced Cathy to her second best friend and escaped like my ass was on fire.

I scanned my surroundings when I left the salon, but Pauly was nowhere to be seen. He was probably disappointed that he didn't ruin Cathy's plans for the day. I collected my thoughts as I drove back over to Haywood, and knocked on the bosses door. At Ranger's "Enter", I let myself in and stood at parade rest. He called Steph and asked her to come in. Once she was seated in her chair, he turned to me and barked, "Report".

I summarized Pauly's behavior and my impression that he may attempt to escalate the violence if he doesn't get his way. I told them that at this time it seemed prudent to maintain security for Cathy, but a safe house was not warranted. Stephanie asked me what I thought about Pauly, and I told her that I thought quite simply that he was a bully, and it was too early to assume that he'll just go away on his own.

Ranger thought about what I told him for a moment. I know that he has already read the incident reports I filed from my laptop. He came to a decision. "All right. I want you to stick with her. Nobody has enough on him for the police to do anything, so keep her covered. If there's a change in the situation, I want to be notified immediately."

I know Ranger knows every detail of everything going on at Rangeman, but I felt the need to remind him of my upcoming leave. "And next week?"

He nodded. "We'll send Hal to take over if the situation isn't resolved by then." Hal is a good man. He would be my second choice as well. "Anything else?" I replied in the negative. "Dismissed."

Stephanie and I walked out together. As I headed for the stairs, she asked, "Cal, do you think she's in danger?"

I could tell she was upset at the thought of a friend being in trouble, so I did what I could to set her mind at ease. "Right now she's fine. Pauly isn't doing anything more than being a cramp in my ass. It is possible that he could become more violent the longer this drags on, which is why we'll stick with her. If it makes you feel any better, I've spent most of the day at the salon with her, and we're going to the Morelli house for dinner tonight."

She laughed at that, and rubbed my tattoo. She is the only person I would even consider allowing to do that. "Oh, you poor thing. Maybe I'll talk Ranger into putting you in for hazard pay." She was smiling now, and that was the important thing. She's like a little sister to me. "Just watch out for Grandma Bella, she is bat crap crazy and loves to give people the eye."

I smiled and winked at her. "She'll never know what hit her."

I got back to the salon just as the stylist was asking Cathy if she was ready for a trip to Brazil. Lester was the first one to notice me, and I couldn't help but smile at the look of disappointment. I walked up behind Cathy and said, "Right on time. I told you I wouldn't miss this." Cathy giggled and held her hand out to me. I helped her from the chair and Lester left, shaking his head. We walked back to a different room in the salon. I cleared the room and then stood outside while they went back to their girl business.

By the time they were done with the blowout, I had spent the remaining two hours bored, afraid, and amused. I was amused by Lester's text which read, "chix dig the accent". I was afraid that the toxic fumes coming from the room would make me pass out. Just what I need, another concussion. Yay, me. Mostly I was bored. Eventually, though, they finished what they were doing, and the stylist turned Cathy's chair around to face me. I don't know if it was worth five hours, but her hair looked good. It was now more of a white blonde than a yellow blonde, and there were layers of chocolate brown underneath. "Chere, you looked good before, but now you look amazing, _c'est vrai_. (that's true)" I laid the accent on thick, but the ladies seemed to eat it up. My mamma didn't raise any dummies.

When we got to the front counter to pay, her credit card was declined. She gave the girl her debit card, and that was declined as well. She looked horrified at the situation. She stepped aside to call her bank and demand answers. While she was doing that, I quietly paid the bill for her, and left a generous tip for the woman that kept her occupied and happy for so long. She had tears in her eyes as I led her outside and around the side of the building to the parking lot. "What happened, Chere?"

"When I went to the attorney's office, I gave her copies of all of our bank statements and credit card bills so that he couldn't just wipe our accounts out and take the money. Obviously that didn't stop him from reporting all of my cards stolen. They've all been canceled."

Even if the man himself was proving to be a nuisance, I gave him points for style. Reporting the cards stolen wouldn't do any damage, but it would inconvenience her until the replacements came in the mail. She turned to go back into the salon. "I have to explain what happened, and go to the bank to get the money to pay them."

"It's taken care of. Let's just head out."

"I can't let you pay for that, Cal."

She looked like she was going to work up one hell of an argument, so I headed her off at the pass. "I'm not paying for it. You can write me a check when we get back to your house for whatever we spend today." What I didn't tell her was that I was going to give Stephanie the option of just adding it to Morelli's bill and ripping up the check. Steph would get a kick out of that.

We got into the SUV and I asked her what our next stop was. She wanted to go to the grocery store, so we headed to the Shop and Bag. She asked me what I did while I was gone. "Mostly, I went to my office to talk to the boss. We both agree that we should stick around for a while longer." She looked like she was going to argue. "You don't think Pauly's finished, do you?"

"No." She looked like she was going to pout, so I continued.

"Stephanie said to say 'hi' and she hopes you're ok. After I finished there, I stopped by your house. Woody was there supervising the window replacement when Pauly showed up with a deputy and your attorney. It seems that he read the protective order, because he was there when he knew you wouldn't be. He packed up his clothes and toiletries, and left without a hassle."

"Does that mean he's going to leave me alone?" She looked hopeful.

"I can't say for sure, but I wouldn't take that bet. He may just be showing everyone how helpful he is so that you'll let your guard down and get rid of me. I'm not going anywhere, and he doesn't strike me as being the patient kind, so we'll see soon enough." By that time we were at the store, so we left the car to go shopping.

Our trip to the store was uneventful, if you don't count the stares or the number of times her phone rang. After the fourth call, she turned it off and dropped it into her purse. Once we finished shopping, I paid and we went back to her house. The new window was in and the place appeared to be locked up tight. I found one of the basement windows unlocked, though, so I relocked it and made sure to check the house thoroughly. After I was sure that the house was clear, I collected Cathy and the groceries from the car. We put everything away just in time to head over to Mrs. Morelli's house. Time to beard the lion in her den.


	7. Grandma Bella

**As usual, all the characters you know and love belong to Janet Evanovich. All mistakes are mine. Thank you so much for all the reviews and encouragement. I've always said y'all are the best!**

Cathy POV

We got to my mother's house fifteen minutes before dinner. I could tell that this was not going to be fun right away. I walked into the kitchen and said, "Hello, Mama."

She looked over from where she was cooking at the stove. As soon as she saw Cal, her eyes got huge and she sucked in a breath. "Mary Catherine, may I speak to you in private for a minute?" Any time she calls me by both names, I know I'm in trouble.

I turned to Cal. He stood there silently with his arms crossed over his chest. "It's ok, Cal. I'm just going to talk to her for a minute."

He nodded. "I'll be in the dining room if you need me."

It was only two steps from the dining room to the kitchen, but that was probably the best I was going to get. "Thank you." He walked back into the dining room, and I turned back to my mother. "Yes, Mama?"

She had a very disapproving look. "If I recall correctly, I invited you to dinner. What is that man doing here with you?"

"Mama, I told you that Joey hired him to keep me safe for a few days. That means he goes where I go."

"Yes, I know all about that. My phone has been ringing all day with women asking me why you brought him to the salon. Mrs. Plum told me that you ignored Pauly, who was there to talk to you."

"Pauly wasn't there to talk to me, he was there to harass me. Mrs. Plum is a busybody who should mind her own business."

My mother was outraged. "Mary Catherine, you do not talk about your elders like that. Mrs. Plum is a very nice woman who is concerned for you. You should be grateful that we live in an area where people watch out for each other."

It took an effort, but I managed not to choke at her words. "Yes, Mama."

She kept going. "And why did that man pay for your salon appointment? Do you have any idea how that looks? What is Pauly going to say about that?"

"Mama, Cal paid for me because Pauly reported all my credit cards as stolen. When I went to pay, every single one of my credit cards was declined. Do you want to know how that felt?"

"Well, why didn't you call your husband? I'm sure he would have come back and taken care of everything for you."

I really want to scream right now. My mother does denial with the best of them. "Mama, I am divorcing Pauly. I don't want to talk to him. I don't want to see him. I have a restraining order so that he will stay away from me. I am not going to call him and beg because he canceled my plastic. Cal is a very nice man who is helping me. If you don't want him here, then we'll leave right now."

My mother clamped her mouth shut. She stood over her pots and collected herself. Finally, she said, "Very well. If that's the way you want it, then you can go set the table. Make sure you get an extra place setting for that man."

I walked into the dining room and stopped short. While I had been arguing with my mother, Cal had set the table. Not only was everything placed perfectly, he had taken the time to fold the napkins into flowers and place them in the wineglasses. I didn't think we were talking that long. I looked over to where was placing the last napkin. "Cal, you didn't have to do this."

He just shrugged and said, "C'est bon" (it's good).

Just then, it hit me. There were already four place settings at the table. Just as I was going back into the kitchen to ask my mother who the extra setting was for, the back door opened, and I could hear Pauly say to my mother, "You look good, Mrs. M."

Before I could get to the kitchen, Cal picked me up by the waist and set me back down so that he was between me and the doorway. When I went to go around him, he blocked me and shook his head. He walked to the doorway and stood there with his arms crossed. From behind him, I shouted, "That's it, mother. We're leaving!"

From somewhere on the other side of Cal, I heard Pauly. "Cathy? I didn't realize you were going to be here. I'm sorry, Mrs. M., Cathy and I are having a disagreement right now. I don't want to get between you and your daughter, so I'll leave. I'll talk to you tomorrow." I could hear him kiss my mother's cheek and then I heard the door close.

I closed my eyes. Inside, I was seething. I know he did that on purpose. When I opened them, Cal had turned around to face me. The look in his eyes was one of understanding. I let out a deep breath. He softly said to me, "Don't let him get to you, chere." I took a moment to compose myself, and nodded.

My mother started to bring out dishes. Her jaw was set, and once again, I was treated to a disapproving look. I showed Cal where he was going to be sitting, and he went to wash up before dinner.

Grandma Bella came downstairs like a Sicilian Fury. I think she's shrunk with age and makes up for it by becoming more rooted in the old country. She only wears black, and she thinks she has visions and can give people the eye. Most of the neighbors are afraid of Grandma Bella. Some think she really does have some weird power, and the rest just think she's crazy.

She came up to me and took my hands. "I had a vision about you, Catherine. You kissed Death, and then you and your husband told us that there was a baby on the way."

Just then Cal walked back into the room. Grandma Bella crossed herself and spit twice. I know that's something you do to ward off evil. "Grandma, that's rude."

Grandma looked at Cal. "He's bad. I'm gonna give him the eye."

I was about to tell Grandma to knock it off, but Cal stopped her with a look. "Ma'am, you might want to reconsider that."

Grandma stiffened. "Why should I listen to you? I can curse you if I want to."

Cal looked amused. "Ma'am, I come from a long line of Cajun Mambo. I'm sure G_rand_-_mère_ wouldn't take kindly to any harm befalling her favorite grandson."

Grandma closed her mouth and stomped into the kitchen. She came back a moment later with a bottle of wine and poured herself a generous glass. I went into the kitchen to help my mother bring out the food. The faster we get it out there, the sooner this whole episode will be over.

The Manicotti was delicious. The filling was light, and the sauce was perfect. Conversation was nonexistent, and my mother and grandmother spent the entire meal drinking wine and glaring at Cal. Once the meal was finished, I helped my mother clear the dishes. Once we were in the kitchen, I said, "Mother, I can't believe how rude you're being to a guest in your own home. I would expect that sort of behavior from Mrs. Russell, but I know you raised me better than that." Before she could answer me, I walked back into the dining room. I sat and waited for my mother to come back out. I just questioned her manners. I would have to be on my best behavior right now.

My mother appeared in the doorway. "Cal, we're having Cannoli for dessert. Would you like some coffee to go with it?" Holy cow, it worked!

Cal looked at my mother and smiled. "thank you, ma'am. I would appreciate it."

Dessert was a little bit better. My mother was at least polite towards Cal, which was more than I had hoped for. The best thing I can say about the whole ordeal is that it's over.

On the drive home, I asked Cal, "What's a Mambo?"

He smiled and told me, "It's a Voodoo Priestess."

"Your grandmother is a Voodoo Priestess?"

His laughter filled the car.. "G_rand_-_mère_ is an old fashioned Southern Belle of impeccable lineage. She's a card carrying member of the Daughters of the American Revolution, and lives in the Garden District in New Orleans."

"But you told Grandma Bella that she was a Mambo." I realized what he did. "Cal, that was evil. I love it."

We got back to my house and Cal had me wait in the car again while he checked out the house. Once I got the all-clear I went inside and flopped on my chair. "I'm so sorry about that, Cal."

"Chere, there is nothing to worry about. I was warned about your grandmother." I laughed. "So, what's the plan for tomorrow?"

I thought about it for a few minutes. "Well, I usually go to the gym on Saturday morning. After that, Pauly used to decide what we would do on Saturdays."

Cal asked, "Does that mean it's my turn to pick?"

The next morning after breakfast, Cal brought me to my gym. We didn't even bother getting out of the car. Pauly's car was parked right by the door. "Damnit! I hate that he keeps ruining my plans."

Cal made a phone call, and we headed out. We drove to a building on Haywood. I've never been down here before. He let us in to an underground garage. We walked up some stairs and down a hallway. He opened a door, and I realized that we were at a private gym. I looked at Cal and he said, "Don't let him ruin your plans."

I gladly hit the treadmill while Cal went to change into workout clothes. The guys that were working out here are seriously ripped I was just starting to sweat when the door opened and Stephanie came in. I watched her walk over to the guy hitting a punching bag and give him a kiss. Wow. If that's the guy she left my brother for, I could totally see the appeal. She came over to where I was and hopped on the treadmill next to mine. I said to her, "If I was surrounded by men like this, I would never leave the gym."

She laughed and almost fell off her treadmill. "So, how are you holding up with Cal?" We both looked over to where Cal was working with free weights.

"He's my new best friend. He even took me to the salon yesterday." we giggled at that.

"Seriously, though, he can be a little quiet sometimes."

I looked at her. "Are you kidding me? He's great. He has a terrific sense of humor, and he does the dishes. What's not to like?"

I finished the program and hopped off the treadmill. Steph gratefully got off hers as well. "What do you normally do next?"

She looked at me like I was speaking Greek. "Next? Normally I go back upstairs to shower and eat pancakes."


	8. lets get physical

**I can only apologize for how long it took to get this out. I don't know how many times I had it open on my computer, waiting for divine inspiration...**

**Anyway, All characters belong to Janet Evanovich, I'm just playing with them. Thank you all for the reviews and encouragement. You're the best!**

I got Stephanie to work out at a couple more stations before I followed her upstairs to her apartment. Her housekeeper, Ella, was just setting out a breakfast spread. Stephanie introduced us and once Ella left, she told me that her fondest wish was that Ella would one day adopt her.

Stephanie let me use her shower before she washed up and we sat down to eat. "Okay, you have to know that I would have loved to have you as a sister in law, right?" She nodded, looking a little worried. "Well, I've been here an hour and I can honestly say that I have no idea what you saw in Joey."

She threw her head back and laughed. "Thank you, Cathy. I hope we can still be friends."

"Of course. Especially if I can come back for breakfast again." She was still laughing as we dug into the feast spread out before us. The pancakes looked light and fluffy and the Bacon was crisp without being burned. There were also scrambled eggs, fresh fruit, yogurt, and croissant. "I wonder if Ella will adopt me, too."

We were just starting to eat when The door opened and the man she kissed downstairs walked in and kissed her again. Stephanie introduced me to Carlos, and he smiled and shook my hand. Holy crap, he has a terrific smile. "It's nice to meet you," I told him. "You have a great setup here." I knew from listening to Joey that he owned the business as well as the building.

"Thank you. Anybody who can get Steph to workout for longer than fifteen minutes is welcome here anytime." I laughed and she stuck her tongue out at him. He just tucked one of her curls behind her ear and said, "Babe" before walking to the bedroom.

When he was out of sight, I mouthed, "Wow" and pretended to fan myself. She rolled her eyes and went back to her breakfast. After we ate, she brought me down to the 4th floor where I met Cal and a bunch of other guys dressed in combat fatigues.

I asked Cal, "Is your idea of a fun weekend activity invading a small country?"

He grinned and said, "Close enough, Chere. We're going paintballing."

We might not have been invading a small country, but the way the guys planned everything, we might as well have been. My team originally wanted me to stay in the rear and hide, but they rethought the plan when I threatened to shoot them all myself. I was tired and sore, but I had a great day running around in the woods. By the time we got home it was late in the afternoon, so we stopped at Pino's and picked up dinner to go.

Several times during the night, a car would drive by, and my phone would ring. Cal told me to ignore it, but it was getting annoying.

On Sunday morning, Cal and I went to church with my mother and grandmother. It was awkward from the moment we walked in the door, until the moment we left. I was impressed when I came downstairs this morning and saw Cal in a black suit. My mother took one look at us when we walked in the door and sat ramrod straight without saying anything to either of us. My grandmother crossed herself again. We sat next to them and waited for the service to begin. As soon as the service was over, we made our escape. We walked out the door to see Pauly's car idling across the street. Cal just put his hand on my back and guided me to his SUV. At the Tasty Pastry, I got myself an extra donut.

The next few days passed pretty much the same, including the constant sounds of cars driving by and frequent calls ending in hang ups. Whenever we went out, I felt like someone was following us, and would sometimes see Pauly driving past. I talked to my lawyer, but she told me that there was nothing she could do. Pauly hasn't violated the protective order, and he had thirty days to answer my divorce petition. The waiting was driving me nuts, and I'm sure I was driving Cal nuts.

On Wednesday, my mother stopped by the house. She wanted to know if I was done with my nonsense and ready to take Pauly back. I told her not to hold her breath. That night, Pauly came over to the house. He stood in the street and started yelling that I was a no good whore living with another man while we were still married. Cal ignored him and started texting on his cell phone. While he was yelling that I was going to regret not taking him back, a Black SUV pulled up behind him. Two Rangemen got out and walked over to Pauly. I couldn't see what they were saying, but they marched him over to his car, and watched while he left. It felt a little surreal watching the whole exchange from Cal's laptop while it was going on in my front yard.

That night, I got another brick through a side window. The Rangeman SUV came back to check everything out and discovered the present that was left on my back porch. The dead skunk was a nice touch. It smelled horrible. He must have known that Cal had installed cameras at the doors, because he wore a mask when he dropped it off.

Thursday afternoon, a Molotov Cocktail was lobbed at the house. Fortunately, it hit the side of the house instead on a window, and didn't break. Cal managed to put it out before there was any damage. I was really starting to freak out. How could he be doing all this to me, and no one ever sees anything? When I stole a candy bar from the Seven Eleven when I was twelve, my mother got a call before I even made it home.

Throughout the past two days, Cal had become a calm, reassuring presence for me. Every time I jumped when the phone rang, he would make a joke about it being Elvis on the line, give me a sneer, and say, "Uh huh huh". When I started to panic, he was there to remind me to breathe. I really owe Joey for sending him over here.

That night over dinner, Cal told me that he was leaving on Friday afternoon. I think I started to hyperventilate. He told me that they would send Hal to stay with me. I'm sure Hal is a nice guy, but I don't know him, and Cal's not entirely sure how Pauly will react to having a different stranger living with me.

Even that choice was taken away from me on Friday morning. We were going to the dry cleaners when someone took a shot at Cal's SUV. He raced to the Rangeman building. When we got out of the car in the underground garage, we discovered four bullet holes in the side. He brought me up to the fifth floor, and into Carlos' office where Hal was waiting for us. He explained to them what has been going on in the last few days, and I could see tears in Stephanie's eyes that matched my own. When he finished his report, Carlos asked him what his recommendations were.

"Sir, I think at this time it is necessary to remove her from the situation. So far, he hasn't been caught doing anything that would get him arrested. He is escalating rapidly, and I believe he poses an immediate danger to her safety. I believe that it's in her best interests to put her in a safe house." A safe house? I didn't think that they were real. You only hear about them in movies.

Carlos thought about that for a few minutes, and then turned to his computer. "I agree. The problem is that the only house that is available at this time is in Atlanta. I can make a few calls and see who they have available to stay with her from that office."

"Atlanta?" Everyone looked at me, surprised that I had spoken up. "You want me to go to a city I've never been to, move in with a person that I've never met and stay there for an indefinite time?" I could feel a full blown panic attack coming on. "Cal, I can't do that."

Cal took one of my hands. "Cathy, we need to keep you safe, Chere. What happens when Pauly decides that shooting a bulletproof SUV isn't enough? It's not going to be forever, just until we can get a handle on the situation."

I jerked my hand away from him. "What do you mean 'we'? You're leaving me." There was a brief flash of pain in his eyes, but he closed it down quickly. I turned to Carlos. "I'm sorry, but I can't do it. I don't know a single person in Atlanta, and I can't spend the rest of my life hiding and waiting until Pauly gets caught doing something stupid."

Cal stood up and began pacing the room, rubbing his tattoo. He stopped and said, "Stephanie, can I talk to you for a minute?" She got up and they walked out of the office.

The silence stretched out until they came back in the room. Cal sat back down and told me, "The way I see it, there are only two options that I consider viable. You can't stay in the Burg. No matter where you are there, Pauly will eventually find out. The first option is for you to go to the safe house." Before I could take a breath to protest, he continued. "I understand your reasons for not wanting to go there, but it really would be better for you. The second option is for you to pack a bag and come with me to Louisiana. That would get you out of the area for two weeks, and give Ranger and Stephanie some time to get a handle on the situation here."

"Cal, I can't go with you. This is your vacation." I could feel the tears start again. I can't believe my life has gotten this screwed up in such a short period of time.

Cal took my hand again. "Cathy, if keeping you safe means bringing you with me, then I want you to come."

In the end, I decided to go with Cal. I knew they were right when they told me I couldn't go back to my house right now. All my family lives in the Burg, and Pauly would find me easily. I can't put them in danger. I've only known Cal for a little over a week, but I trust him a lot more than I would trust a stranger in a strange city. I went back to my house with Hal, Ramon and Junior to pack a bag. Cal had some things he had to take care of before we could leave.

Just as I was finishing putting my bags together, my mother called me. "Mary Catherine, why is that man standing in front of your door. Do you know how many phone calls I've gotten?"

I told her about the SUV getting shot at, and that I was going out of town for a couple of weeks. My mother was horrified at the thought. Of course, she was more afraid that Pauly wouldn't take me back than that I might be in danger. By the time I got off the phone, I didn't even feel guilty about leaving anymore.

Half an hour later, Cal was back at the house, and I was ready to go. He took my bags, and I went outside to see a car that I can only describe as pure Cal. It was a 1970 Dodge Challenger that had been fully restored. It was painted in such a deep purple pearlcoat that it looked almost black. It was such a beautiful machine that I just wanted to run my hands along it. Inside it was tricked out with every toy you could imagine. He dropped his iPhone in its cradle, cranked up the Guns N Roses, and we headed out.


	9. Cal opens up

**Cal & Cathy finally made it back. Summer camp starts next week, so I should have more "me" time...**

**Anyway, all characters belong to Janet Evanovich. All mistakes are mine.**

I knew something was up when we got to the Jersey Turnpike headed south. "Cal, you're going the wrong way, Newark is north of us."

He smiled. "We're not going to Newark, we're going to Annapolis."

Now I was confused. "I thought we were going to Louisiana?"

He chuckled. "We are, Chere. We just have a few stops to make along the way."

We arrived in Annapolis in the early evening. Annapolis is the capital of Maryland, but it couldn't be more different than Trenton if it tried. As soon as we got off the highway, we were surrounded by water. You could see the boats that look like water bugs skimming along the surface. Cal told me that they were the Naval Academy Sculling Teams. We drove across a bridge and were in the Historic district. The houses were narrow and close together. There were a few old churches, and I'm pretty sure every building is a historic landmark.

Cal brought us to the Mariott Waterfront Hotel. He had reserved a room for himself. Fortunately, there was another one available for me on the same floor. We went upstairs. When Cal finished checking my room, we agreed to meet in the lobby.

The weather was beautiful, so we decided to walk along the waterfront. Cal explained the area to me. "This area is called Ego Alley. It's the place to see and be seen, at least if you have a boat." He was right. Tied up along the docks were boats of all kinds. Most of them were power boats, but there were a couple of sailboats and a catamaran docked there, too. There were also bars, restaurants and shops everywhere. I did the tourist thing and got a shirt that said, "I got crabs in Annapolis" We decided to have dinner in Middleton's Tavern where we had oyster shooters and crab cakes. We continued our stroll up Main Street. At the top of the hill, we stopped at the Annapolis Ice Cream Company.

We continued walking until we got to the circle. Cal continued his tour guide routine. "This street is called Church Circle because of the church in the middle. That is Saint Anne's, and it's the first church built in Annapolis. It was founded in 1692, but not completed until 1704, and is Episcopalian." We turned right and headed down the next street. "The building to your left is the Governor's mansion. In the middle of this circle is the State House."

I was shocked by how much he knew about the area. I don't think I knew that much about Trenton, and I've lived there my whole life. "Cal, where did you learn all this?"

"I spent my summers here growing up. My grandfather on my father's side is an Academy graduate, and moved back here when he retired from the Navy. We'll stop and see him tomorrow before we leave." Cal pointed a few more things out to me as we headed back towards our hotel.

The next morning, we went to the gym and then breakfast. After, we checked out and headed to the Naval Academy. Again, Cal acted as my tour guide, pointing out Captain's Row, where the department heads live, and the the Superintendent's Mansion. He parked by the chapel, and we got out. He brought me into the chapel and down to the John Paul Jones Crypt. After we left there, he continued our drive through the Academy, until we reached the cemetery. He parked the car and we got out. "I can wait here for you, Cal."

He smiled. "No, Chere, it's okay." I took his hand and we walked among the markers. The one we stopped at was engraved with the medical symbol and the name Calvin Burrel Galloway. "This is my grandmother and grandfather on my father's side. It's always the first stop on the road home." After we stood there for a while, Cal turned away and we headed back to the car and back on the road.

After we had been driving for a while, I asked, "I take it you were named after him?"

He thought about answering for a minute. "Yes, Chere." I had a feeling that getting him to talk was going to be difficult.

We drove in silence until we stopped for lunch outside of Greensboro, NC. After we were seated and placed our order, Cal started talking. "The Galloway family gives a whole new meaning to the word dysfunctional, and it started with my grandfather."

I was beginning to realize how much I was intruding on Cal's trip. I took his hand. "Do you want to leave me in Atlanta? I would understand."

He squeezed my hand. "No. You've already helped with the hard part. It will get better the further south we go."

"Who was he?"

"Rear Admiral Galloway was the Commanding Officer of the Bethesda Naval Medical Center. He was an Admiral and a Doctor. He was awarded the Legion of Merit by the President. The only thing he will ever be remembered for is the fact that he oversaw the autopsy of President John F. Kennedy. There are wild conspiracy theories about my grandfather's role in the alleged coverup. Everything from him driving a decoy ambulance to deliberately falsifying autopsy reports and my personal favorite, hiding the President's brain in a cabinet in his office."

I honestly didn't know what to say. I can't even begin to imagine what that must be like. "You said you spent summers there when you were young?"

He smiled for the first time in a long time. "Yes. As long as I can remember, we spent summers visiting with my grandmother and grandfather there. I learned to sail and went fishing on the Chesapeake Bay. My father was a doctor, so I came up with my mother every year. I didn't understand the rift between my father and grandfather. I suppose I was too young.

"My senior year of high school, we sat down to have the 'what are you going to do with your life' talk. My father assumed I would continue to college and medical school. I announced to the family that I was applying to the Academy and joining the Navy." He shook his head. "I thought my father was going to explode. I had a long talk with my grandfather. He told me that he was proud of me, whatever choice I made, and explained that the Navy probably wasn't going to be a viable career choice. As soon as I graduated, I enlisted in the Army. My father hasn't spoken to me since. I met Ranger in Special Forces, and the rest is history."

It was a lot to take in. "It sounds like you loved your grandfather."

Cal thought about it while the waitress brought our food. "I did, but it's complicated. There's a lot of unresolved issues. I guess that in a way, I blame him for a lot of the problems I had with my father."

"Did he ever tell you what happened?" I couldn't help but be curious.

"No, it's not something anyone in my family ever talked about."

I decided to change the subject. "So what did you name your car?"

Cal laughed. "Why do you think she has a name?"

I smiled. "Because I grew up around guys, and that is a guy car. Plus, you refer to it as a she."

Cal winked. "Her name is Charlotte. I got her when I was stationed at Fort Bragg and spent most of my free time restoring her."

"Well, she is one honey of a vehicle. Are you going to let me driver her?"

Cal choked on his water. "Chere, I thought you said you grew up around guys. How many times did you get to drive their cars?"

"There's always a first time. Besides, if you don't ask, then you'll never get to do the fun stuff."

He just smirked and said, "I'll remember that."

After lunch, we got back in the car and headed out. Cal was in a better mood for the second half of the drive. He told me about his time at Fort Bragg and some of the other bases that he was stationed at. About two hours in, I asked him, "Are we there yet?"

He laughed and said, "Don't make me turn this car around."

It took another two hours to get to our next stop. When we got to Braselton, Georgia, I wasn't expecting anything more than a stop on the highway. We wound up at what looked like a castle with a spa, vineyards and golf course. Cal explained that when his father retired, they invested in the property and own one of the villas that line the golf course.

When we got to the villa, there was a petite blonde woman waiting at the door for us. She wrapped Cal in a hug. Cal turned and said, "Mother, I'd like you to meet my friend Cathy."

**A/N When I first decided to do a Cal story, I had an idea in the back of my mind about who he was and where he was coming from. I found Admiral Galloway and was fascinated by his story. There is very little about him online that doesn't have to do with the JFK assassination, other than his headstone at the US Naval Academy. Everything else is fiction.**

**I delivered mail at the Naval Academy for three years. It is truly a beautiful place. (and watching the Midshipmen jogging was no hardship) I could probably give the first half of the walking tour if I put my mind to it. Anyway, Annapolis is considered America's Sailing Capital, and it's a well earned title. I highly recommend visiting if you get the chance.**


	10. What's your embarrassing song?

**I want to take a second to thank you all for the reviews and encouragement. Y'all are the reason I keep writing!**

**Any characters you recognize belong to Janet Evanovich. All mistakes are mine. The only thing I get from this is that warm, fuzzy feeling when I read the reviews! :-)**

I didn't know what kind of greeting to expect, but it certainly wasn't the warm hug she gave me. She seemed genuinely pleased to meet me. She showed me to a guest bedroom so that I could freshen up, then we were going to dinner at the hotel.

I was just putting the finishing touches on my makeup, when there was a knock on the door. I answered it to find Cal's mother with a glass of wine. She handed me the glass, and asked how I was enjoying our trip so far. The wine was light and sweet. She told me that it came from the vineyard on the grounds. I still didn't know what to make of his mother. By now, my mother would be grilling a guest for their life story, but she just kept up a light banter.

Dinner was served in one of the fields at the edge of the vineyard. Everything was delicious, but the conversation was a bit strange. It started when Cal's mother asked, "Calvin, did you stop to visit your grandfather?"

Cal just answered, "Yes, mother."

"How did he look?" Okay, this seems a bit Twilight Zone to me. She does realize he passed away, doesn't she?

Cal didn't seem fazed at all. "Everything was fine."

"Good. Grand-mère is looking forward to seeing you. When did you want to leave tomorrow?"

"We need to leave by 11:00 if we're going to make it to Lafitte before dark."

She was pleased with that answer. "Good. I've scheduled some girl time in the morning, that is if you don't mind, Cathy?"

I assured her that it was fine with me. After dinner Cal told her that he was going to show me around a little and walk back. She bid us good night and reminded me that we had an 8:00 appointment at the spa.

Once she left, Cal showed me the main hotel, then we walked towards the fountain. Cal said, "I'm sorry if she was a bit pushy with you tonight."

"Cal, when my mother met you, she passed out and demanded that I throw you out of my house. Your mom opened her home, fed me, and kept my wineglass full. I like your mom a lot better."

He laughed. "Just remember that tomorrow morning when she begins the inquisition." He thought for a minute. "You know, you're the first girl I've brought home with me since high school. The last time I was here, I only stopped for dinner and kept going to Atlanta." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Hector was with me because there was a problem in the office there. I can't imagine what she thought when she saw us get out of the car."

I remembered Hector from when he was installing locks and cameras at my house. Cal's tattoo is large and intimidating, even if I am fascinated by it. Hector has a gang tat on his neck and teardrops at his eye. I actually think Hector's are scarier.

Neither Cal nor his mother has mentioned his father. I'm still not sure what the story is there, but I don't want to ruin Cal's good mood by mentioning him. We walked through a field and wound up back at Cal's mother's house.

The next morning, I went with Cal's mother to the Spa. We were sitting in the pedicure chairs when she asked, "So how long have you known Cal?"

I decided to be honest. "My brother works for the Trenton Police, and has worked with Cal before. I'm in the process of divorcing my husband, and when he started acting strange, my brother hired Cal as a bodyguard for me. I guess I've known him for a little over a week. I really like your son, though. I already consider him a good friend, and he's a great guy." I give myself a mental head slap. Way to over share, Cathy.

His mother thought about that for a minute. "Cal seems comfortable around you. It usually takes longer than a week to get to know someone that well."

It's been an intense week. "Well, he's been staying at my house, and we usually talk over dinner."

"So, why are you divorcing your husband?"

"Because he got another woman pregnant." I will probably never see this woman again, so her opinion shouldn't matter. For some reason, though, it does.

She nodded. "That's a good reason." She paused. "So tell me what you think about the tattoo."

I was tempted ask what tattoo, which made me laugh. "It's a part of Cal. The first time I saw it, I wanted to touch it. It makes him seem like more of a hard ass than he is. The artwork is beautiful, though."

She smiled as though she approved of my answer. She spent a part of the next hour asking me about New Jersey, and another part telling me about Georgia. When I asked her about Louisiana, she just told me that she wanted me to see it for myself. By the time we got back to her house, I was relaxed and my feet looked great. Cal had already loaded our bags in the car. His mother gave us both another hug and we hit the road again.

Once we got onto the highway, I took Cal's iPhone. "What you doing, Chere?"

"I'm looking for the embarrassing song."

He raised an eyebrow. "The embarrassing song?"

I smirked. "I know there's at least one song in here that you don't want anybody to know you like. If I can find yours, I'll tell you mine." I scrolled through his music. "Katy Perry?" He reached for his iPhone, but I kept it away from him. "At least it's not Britney Spears." The opening notes of Hot N Cold came through the speakers and Cal shook his head. I sang along because I could. When the song ended, I put Drowning Pool back on and put his iPhone back in its holder.

Cal looked at me. "Okay, it's your turn."

I gave him an innocent look. "My turn for what?"

Cal laughed. "Go ahead and plug your phone in, Chere. Let's hear your embarrassing song."

I blushed. "Mine's worse." He just looked at me again. I blew out a breath. "Fine." I took the cable out of his phone and plugged mine into it.

When Danke Schoen came out over the speakers, I was afraid Cal was going to hurt himself laughing. He finally got himself under control. "Sorry, Chere. I didn't mean to laugh."

I gave him a good pout. "I didn't laugh at your song."

He handed me back his phone. "It's okay, Chere. If you had kept going, you would have found the Abba song on mine."

I giggled. "Okay, we're good."

Since we didn't leave Cal's mother's house until late, we decided not to stop for lunch. We passed by city after city. Atlanta Georgia, Montgomery Alabama, Mobile Alabama, Biloxi Mississippi. We certainly weren't in New Jersey anymore, but the view from the highway rarely changes. After another eight hours on the road, we drove across the bridge on Lake Pontchartrain and into New Orleans.

New Orleans is a large city. There are a lot more rivers here than in Trenton. It's getting late, though, so Cal told me that we would drive around the city a little tomorrow. I did recognize the Superdome from the News. We drove through the city and into the Bayou. Everything was green. We stopped at a store to pick up some necessities, then went to Cal's house.

The only thing you could see of Cal's house from the road is the gated driveway. It was a small, white house. The view was amazing, though. He has waterfront property with beautiful Oak trees covered in Spanish moss. The sun was setting over the bayou, and the sight was breathtaking.

**A/N Whew! They made it. I seriously thought I'd get them here in one chapter. (Best laid plans and all that) I hope you enjoyed the ride. I can't wait to meet Cal's Grandmother!**


	11. it's called The Big Easy for a reason

**All characters belong to Janet Evanovich, all mistakes are mine. I'd like to take a minute to thank everyone who took the time to read and review the last chapter, your encouragement means the world to me.**

The next morning, I took a few minutes to check my messages. I don't know why I've been avoiding it so long. Actually, I do know, I just wish I didn't. My mother left at least a dozen messages. After listening her demanding to know where I was and telling me that Pauly was frantically trying to find me, I was ready to turn my phone off again. There were also a lot of hang ups, and a couple of calls from friends, asking if everything was okay. The last message was from Joey. He said Stephanie told him what was going on and that he would call mom for me. Thank the lord I don't have to make that call. I sent text messages to everyone, letting them know I was fine, just out of town at the moment. I really didn't want to talk to anyone right now. I checked my email, but there was nothing exciting there.

I did my morning routine and got dressed. When I made it to the kitchen, Cal had coffee ready and was putting the finishing touches on breakfast. I can't remember the last time a guy made me breakfast. Cal was relaxed, which was a nice change. Being home agrees with him. After we ate, I washed the dishes and he dried.

Cal took me for a drive around the city. He pointed out the famous St. Louis Cemetery, the French Quarter, and the Acme Oyster House. We parked and walked around Jackson Square, and this time I got a shirt that says, "Shuck it, Suck it, Eat it raw" with a picture of an oyster. What can I say, I like seafood. Cal got me a shirt that says, "I'm with Couyon" (stupid) and made me promise to wear it and stand by my brother. We walked to Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo and Jean Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop. As we walked back to Cal's car, he told me that he would bring me back here one night for some 'good old fashioned drunken revelry'. I can't wait.

We drove over to the Garden District. Cal showed me where they filmed some of American Horror Story: Coven, and the Lafayette Cemetery. The houses here were large, and there were a lot of mansions dotting the area. We pulled up in front of a two story pink house with beige and blue trim. Cal asked me to wait in the car for a second. Surprisingly, he only walked around the car and opened the door for me.

We walked up the steps as the front door opened. The woman who stood there looked stern. Given what Cal's told me about his grandmother, and what I've seen both from Cal and his mother, there is no way this woman can be her. Cal arched an eyebrow at her. She stepped away from the door and said, "Your grand-mère is in the parlor."

The house was every bit as elegant inside as it was outside. The dark hardwood floors contrasted nicely with the light pastel walls. The parlor was a pale yellow with a marble fireplace as the focal point. The woman who was standing by the windows looked like a miniature Paula Deen. She walked to Cal and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He turned her to me and said, "Grand-mère, may I present Mary Catherine Salvino."

I did my best not to look shocked at the way he spoke so formally to his grandmother. I held my hand out to her and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

She laughed and hugged me. "Don't you mind Calvin. He thinks he has to prove that he remembers his manners. Please come in and sit, Amelia will be in shortly with tea." She took my arm and led me to a sofa, then sat in one of the chairs herself. Cal sat next to me.

We stayed with Cal's grandmother for hours. By the time we left, I think I was half in love with her. She wanted to know every detail of Cal's life, but not in a gossipy way like my family would have been. Cal told her about some of the men he worked with, and life in Trenton. Amelia served iced tea and small sandwiches. I couldn't figure out where she fit in the grand scheme of things. She looked so serious while Cal's grandmother was almost easygoing. We got up to leave, and Cal's grandmother walked us to the door. She gave Cal another hug and kiss. She hugged me as well and said, "I hope you'll come to the party on Saturday, Miss Salvino."

I smiled. "Please, call me Cathy. I'd love to come as long as Cal doesn't have any other plans."

She beamed at me. "You can cal me Millie, and Cal knows that there's nothing more important in life than making me happy."

We got in the car and waved one last time before we drove away. I said to Cal, "I hope you don't mind that I accepted your grandmother's invitation."

He smiled. "No, Chere. I wasn't going to leave you at home."

I asked, "What's the story with Amelia? she looked too stern for your grandmother to put up with."

"That was her way of yelling at me for abandoning my grandmother to go live with Yankees. She's been with grand-mère for as long as I can remember."

We stopped at the grocery store for more supplies. Cal told me that tomorrow he was going to teach me how to cook Gumbo. I'm not quite sure about the okra, but the rest of the ingredients look great.

The rest of the week was pretty relaxed. I learned to make Gumbo, Cal brought me to the Acme Oyster House and the Cafe Du Monde, but sometimes we just stayed at home. I checked my voice mail and text messages in the morning, but I was enjoying not carrying my cell phone around with me all the time. On Thursday, I got a message from Stephanie that Pauly had been arrested for getting into a bar brawl with my brother Anthony, but was already out on bail. I called her back and she told me that I should just stay down here and enjoy myself.

Friday night, Cal took me out to Bourbon Street for a night of drinking and dancing. He left his car at his grandmother's house, and we took a cab to the French Quarter. We started at the Tropical Isle, where we had Hand Grenades to drink. Halfway through the first drink, I started to feel buzzed. We ended at Howl at the Moon, where we did shots out of giant syringes. In between the two, we stopped at all kinds of different bars like Bourbon Cowboy for country, The Funky Pirate, which was a blues club, The Old Absinthe House, even a karaoke bar. Bourbon Street is a nonstop party, and I had a great night.

We walked the two miles back to his grandmother's house. Cal was quite a sight carrying my shoes for me. Before we turned onto First Street, I stopped him. "Thank you Cal."

"Pas de problème, Chere." (No problem)

I held his hand and looked into his eyes. "Not just for tonight."

"I know."

I gave him a quick peck on his lips while I could still blame it on the buzz. His lips are incredibly soft. Before I could do anything crazier, I started walking towards his grandmother's.

When we pulled into Cal's driveway, I asked him the question that I've wanted to since I first met him. I laid my head on his shoulder. "Cal, can I touch it?"

He kissed the top of my head. "Chere, you're still a married woman."

I sat straight up and looked at him in shock. He threw his head back and laughed. "Jackass. Please? I really want to."

He turned toward me and closed his eyes. "Go ahead, Chere."

I knelt in my seat and reached my hand out. The detail really is amazing. I traced my fingers along the flames, sure I was going to be burned. When I was able to pull my hand away, Cal blew out a breath and opened his eyes. His eyes were as black as midnight. We sat in the car staring at each other, neither of us willing to move. Cal ran his hand through my hair and tightened his grip. He closed his eyes again and took a deep breath. He let go of my hair, and opened his door. "Come on, Chere, we need to go inside." When we got in the house, he kissed me on top of my head again, said goodnight, and went to his room. I went to my room and flopped on my bed, trying to figure out what the hell just happened.


	12. Photographs and memories

**Any characters you recognize belong to Janet Evanovich. All mistakes are mine. Thank you for all the positive reviews and feedback, it really keeps me going. :-)**

The next morning, I wasn't hungover, for which I was grateful. I turned on my phone to check my messages and there was one from my mother with a stern, "Call me". As I was sitting there, debating whether or not to call her back, my phone rang. One glance at the caller ID, and I had to answer it. "Hello, Mama."

"Mary Catherine Salvino, where in the world are you?"

I may not be hungover, but her voice was drilling straight through to my brain. "I'm out of town, Mama. I'll be back next weekend."

"That doesn't tell me where you are and who you're with. What am I supposed to tell your husband?"

Ugh. She's never going to get it. "Mama, tell him to sign the divorce papers. If he doesn't know where I am, he can't shoot at me again."

"Joseph told me that someone shot at the car you were in, but they don't know who it was. How do you even know that they were shooting at you, and not that man you were keeping entirely too much company with. What do you think the neighbors are saying about you disappearing without a word?"

I blew out a frustrated breath. "Mama, I don't care what the neighbors are saying. Cal has been very good to me these past few weeks."

She was silent for a minute. "So you're still with him?"

I just sighed. "Mama, I have to go. I'll be home next weekend."

"Don't forget about the party for Grandma Bella next Sunday."

I told her that we would be there, and we said our goodbyes. My head was pounding by the time I made it out to the kitchen. Cal handed me a cup of coffee, and I held my head while I took those first few precious sips. He smirked. "A little too much last night, Chere?"

I glared at him. "No, I just got off the phone with my mother. She called to harass me about what the neighbors think. She also reminded me that Grandma Bella's birthday party is next Sunday. Are you sure you don't want to stay down here for another month or two?"

He chuckled. "And risk her trying to curse me again?" I laughed. "Don't worry, Chere, we'll get you home on time."

We spent the rest of the morning at the house. At noon, I started getting ready for Cal's Grandmother's party. I showered, shaved, buffed, polished, moisturized, and dressed in a beautiful floral dress with a swirly skirt that Cal assured me would be fine for the party. I did my hair and makeup and walked out to the living room right on time.

I stopped in my tracks as soon as I saw Cal. His suit was definitely stare worthy. He was wearing khaki slacks and a navy blazer which he filled out spectacularly, but it was what was missing that blew my mind. His tattoo was gone. It almost didn't look like Cal. I finally asked, "What did you do with my Cal?"

"It's still me, Chere."

I walked up to him and stared. I couldn't see a trace of his tattoo. It was like it was never there. "If you put on a wig and tell people that you're running for Congress, I'm leaving."

He laughed, and we went to the car. I spent the drive to his grandmother's house stealing glances at him. When we got to the house, there were people everywhere. We found Cal's grandmother in the Parlor. She gave Cal a hug and kiss and asked him, "Where's Hobbes?" I could see a faint blush crawl up his neck. At first I didn't understand what she was asking, but then it hit me. She called his tattoo Hobbes. Somehow it's fitting, but I am so going to file that away to use against him at some point.

After Cal greeted her, she gave me a hug and thanked me for coming. I thanked her for inviting me, and she told us to go ahead and mingle. Cal took the opportunity to show me the rest of the house. When we walked out to the yard, Cal tensed. I knew as soon as I saw his mother that the distinguished gentleman that she was talking to was his father.

He was easily as tall as Cal, but lean where Cal is muscular. His dark brown hair was sprinkled with gray. He looked like a doctor. Cal's mother saw us and smiled. She said something to the man she was with and he looked over at us. I took Cal's hand in a show of support as Cal's parents made their way to us. Cal bent down to kiss his mother's cheek, but I could practically feel the tension coming off him in waves. He shook his father's hand and just said, "Father."

His father nodded and said, "Calvin."

Cal's mother gave me a hug. "Cathy, this is Cal's father, Robert."

I had to let go of Cal's hand so that I could shake his father's. "Doctor Galloway."

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

I took Cal's hand again. His mother kept up the conversation, asking me how my trip was so far, and whether or not I was enjoying New Orleans. Neither Cal nor his father joined in. As soon as it was polite, we went back into the house, but Cal wasn't enjoying himself anymore. After a few more hours of talking to the other guests, we said our goodbyes.

When we got back to Cal's house, Cal grabbed a couple of beers and went straight out back. I followed him, and we sat in the chairs that faced the water. I took his hand again, and we sat in silence watching the sun set, even through I'm pretty sure Cal wasn't paying attention. He tipped his head back, closed his eyes and said, "Fuck."

I went inside and got Cal another beer. When I handed it to me, he said, "I'm sorry, Chere, I'm probably not the best company right now. I didn't expect him to be there."

Instead of sitting in the chair, I sat on the ground next to Cal's chair. "What makes you think I'm out here for you? One of the men at the party told me that the mosquitoes around here are big enough to slap you back. I've always wanted to see one that big." I leaned my head against his chair.

We stayed like that for a while longer, until I actually started slapping at the mosquitoes. "C'mon, Chere, lets get you inside."

I looked at him. "Are you sure? That one didn't slap back, I don't think it was the right one."

We went back inside and I sat on the couch. Cal went into his room and came out a few minutes later. He had put his jacket away and was wiping his tattoo with a towel. I was glad to see it back. He sat on the other couch. I said, "You want to talk?"

"No."

"Okay."

We continued to sit there. "My father spent most of his life trying to live down my grandfather's reputation. Most people eventually forgot about my grandfather's role in the JFK incident, but it's always been the elephant in the room in my family. He was young when it happened, and he took a lot of crap about it, even getting into fights in school over it. He became determined to set the medical world on fire. He's an excellent doctor, but it's not like he's famous. I told you that he expected me to follow in the family footsteps. He decided that I was going to restore the family honor. I had no interest in being a doctor, so I was going to join the Navy. You know what happened with that. When I went into the Army, I found a home. While I was in basic training, my grandfather passed away. I didn't even find out until after the funeral. My father was still mad at me for joining the military. We got into one last big fight. He told me that I left my family. I told him that the Army was all the family I needed.

"I was on a mission someplace very unpleasant that went very wrong shortly after we had completed our objective. My squad was ambushed and left for dead. Most of them were. There were only two of us left. I was wounded, but still better off than Ryan, who was missing half his leg. I carried him until I collapsed. I had no choice, I had to leave him." He closed his eyes and hung his head in his hands. "I can still hear him screaming for me not to go. I don't know how far I got before I heard the shot. I made it to the extraction point. That's all I can remember before I woke up in a hospital in Germany. When I got stateside, I was sent to a VA hospital. The next day my mother and grand-mère were there. While I was in the VA hospital, I bought this house. When I was released, I came here. I got a big old 'Stay the fuck away from me' tattoo and spent most of my time watching the water.

"About a year later, I came outside and Ranger was sitting in one of the chairs facing the water. He had already started his company, and it was growing. He told me that he wanted to build a team that he knew he could trust. I turned him down. I told him that I didn't want anyone to rely on me. A week after he left, Tank showed up. He told me to quit the fucking pity party and pack a bag. I spent a lot of time on monitor duty and desk duty. Then Ranger asked me for a personal favor. A woman he was involved with had a killer after her and he needed me to guard her. You know how Stephanie is. It wasn't long before I was in the hospital with a concussion. She came to Rangeman with a cake that said Happy Birthday Florence. She's like a little sister to me. She's persistent and annoying sometimes, but you always know she would do anything for you. She helped me more than she knows, just by being a friend. After that fiasco, I started getting out on the street more. I ran patrols with some of the guys, but I found out that I have a talent for bodyguard work. Apparently I can be menacing." He smiled for the first time tonight. It was a small smile, but I'll take it. "Today was the first time I saw my father since I came home from basic. It just brought everything back at once. I don't know what would have happened if you weren't there."

I got up and sat next to him. I hugged him around his waist and laid my head on his chest. I can't believe he's gone through so much. I didn't know what to say, so I sat there and held him, listening to his heart beat while my tears fell.

**A/N - this was a very difficult scene to write. Cal had a hard time bearing his soul, but remember there's always two sides to every story. There's a little more angst to go before we can get to the good stuff.**


	13. Play time's over

**I'm off to Atlantic City for a Girl's Weekend, (Yay!) so I decided to get this out as soon as I could. Maybe I'll see Grandma Mazur at the male revue (Don't ask, I promised not to tell) Anyway, have a great weekend, Y'all!**

**All the cool kids get to play at JE's table... No matter how many times I do their homework. All mistakes are mine. Thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews I'd take you with me to AC if I could fit you in my suitcase!**

When I woke up the next morning, we were still on the couch. I tried to move out of his arms without waking him up, but I was unsuccessful. He kissed me on top of my head and said, "Good morning, Chere."

I looked up at him, and he was smiling. I was so relieved that I gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Good morning, Cal." I got up and went to the bathroom. Once I was dressed and ready for the day, I went to the kitchen and found Cal making coffee. I got our mugs out of the cabinet and turned to him. "Why don't you take your coffee out back and I'll fix breakfast?"

"Chere, I don't mind making breakfast."

"Neither do I. You had a rough day yesterday, and I want to take care of you. You know you're going to let me win the argument, so go ahead outside. I'll be out in a few minutes."

He chuckled. "All right, you win." He took his coffee and went out the back door. As I was gathering the supplies to make omelets, there was a knock at the front door. This was the first time we've had a visitor here, but I didn't want to disturb Cal. I looked out the front window and saw his mother waiting on the porch.

I opened the door for her. "Cal is out back. Would you like some coffee?"

She looked worried. "I came to see how he's doing." We went into the kitchen and she fixed herself a cup.

I continued to prepare breakfast. "He's doing okay. You should go talk to him. Can I fix you some breakfast?" I wasn't about to discuss Cal, even with his mother.

"Thank you, that would be lovely." She watched me for a minute, then went outside to see Cal. When I brought the meal outside, they were sitting at the table on Cal's deck. Cal jumped up to help me carry everything.

The conversation was light over breakfast. Both Cal and his mother told me that breakfast was wonderful. After we finished our meal, Cal's mother got to the point of her visit. "Cal, your father and I would like for you and Cathy to come to lunch at your Grand-mère's house."

Cal looked like that was the last place on earth he wanted to be. "I'm sorry, mother, I can't do it."

She took his hand. "Cal, I know that you and your father have your problems, and I respect your decision, but your father is trying. He does love you."

Cal shook his head. "I haven's seen him since I was eighteen. The last time I saw him, we did nothing but fight. It's too much, too fast."

She stood to leave. "I understand. I want you to know that one of the things your father regrets the most is not talking to his father before he passed. Your father isn't going anywhere any time soon, but please don't wait until it's too late. When you were injured, he was so afraid that he missed his chance, he went to Germany to see you in the hospital."

Cal looked shocked. "What do you mean?"

His mother sat again. "As soon as we heard that you were injured, your father got on the first flight he could get. He went to Germany to see you for himself. He was so upset when he came home. He told me that every time he was in your room, you would get agitated. He was afraid that he was slowing your recovery, so he came back. When they brought you to the VA hospital, he insisted that it would be better for you if your grand-mère and I were there instead."

Cal sat there looking shell shocked. I reached out and laid my hand on his arm, but he didn't seem to notice. His mom rubbed his back and made soothing noises. When I stood to clean up the dishes, Cal wrapped his arms around me and buried his face in my stomach. I put the dishes down and held on to him. His mom picked up the plates and walked into the house. Once she was gone, he said, "I can't, Chere."

I knelt down in front of him and looked into his eyes. "Then we won't. We'll curl up on the couch with some popcorn and have a movie day. I'll even let you pick the first movie." He nodded, and I got up to talk to his mother.

When I went into the kitchen, it was obvious she had been crying while she washed the dishes. I let her know that we were going to stay at home. She gave me her phone number and asked me to call her if we needed her for any reason. Cal came back inside as she was getting ready to leave. He hugged her and said, "I'm sorry, mom."

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean to upset you." She left, and I went to the kitchen to make popcorn and get a couple of bottles of water. I figured he would pick a movie with a high body count, so I was pleasantly surprised when he chose Animal House. By the end of the movie, we were both laughing. We spent the day watching comedies. I picked Blazing Saddles and The Blues Brothers. His other movie choice was Porky's. For our final movie, we both agreed on Monty Python and the Holy Grail. By the time the last movie was over, I was falling asleep, so I kissed Cal goodnight and went to bed.

The next morning Cal was on the phone when I came into the kitchen. I fixed myself some coffee and he set a plate in front of me. When he got off the phone, I asked him what the plan was for the day. "We're going mudbugging."

"Mudbugging?"

"Yes, Chere, mudbugging. Wear your sneakers." Whatever it is, it just sounds so wrong. Cal seems to be excited by the thought, so I guess we're going mudbugging. Once I had my sneakers on, cal handed me a pair of fishing poles and a net, and we left. We got to the house of one of Cal's friends, they did one of those guy handshakes, and we went around to the water in the guys backyard.

Mudbugging is similar to fishing, but it's also different. You watch the worm on the end of your hook until a crayfish grabs it with its claw, then you drag it slowly until it's close enough to catch with the net. After an hour, I had caught two. At the rate we were going, we were going to starve for dinner tonight.

We sat at the bank and fished and talked about nothing in particular for a few more hours. When we had ten crayfish, Cal stood up and walked over to a tree. He pulled a line out of the water. At the end of the line was a trap filled with crayfish. "This is the other way to catch mudbugs, Chere."

"Sure, don't show me the easy way, first." He laughed and emptied the trap into our bucket.

That night for dinner, Cal made a Low Country Boil with the crayfish we caught. I learned how to do a purge to clean our catch. As far as I'm concerned, I think it tasted better because I caught it.

The rest of the week passed quickly. Cal took me out on the bayou in an airboat, we went back into New Orleans and wandered around, and we went back to his grand-mère's for one more dinner before we left. I've tried so many different kinds of foods down here. In addition to Gumbo and Low Country Boil, I've had Étouffée, Po' Boys, Jambalaya, and Beignets. I'm also hopelessly addicted to Chicory coffee. Cal said we'll pick some up before we head home.

On Friday morning, we cleaned up Cal's house and got ready to leave. We were driving straight to Knoxville, TN today, and then back to Trenton tomorrow. I'm going to miss Louisiana. I had a wonderful time, and I hope I was able to help Cal work through some of his family problems. I really care about him. Cal's grandmother came to see us off. She hugged and kissed us both, and gave me a box of Beignets for the trip. She made sure that I had her phone number, and invited me to visit her any time I wanted.

The drive to Knoxville was uneventful. We stopped at the Cracker Barrel outside Birmingham Alabama for lunch. Our hotel that evening was an average side of the road chain hotel. As we walked to our rooms, I took Cal's hand. "Cal, I want to thank you for bringing me with you."

"Thank you for coming with me, Chere. I'm glad you did."

We got to my door. Cal kissed me. "Goodnight, Chere."

I put my hands on his shoulders and said, "Goodnight, Calvin." I pulled him towards me and kissed his tattoo. "Goodnight, Hobbes." Cal chuckled and swatted my ass as I escaped into my room.


	14. There's no place like home?

**Hey, all. I made it back from Atlantic City in one piece. Lets just say I strongly recommend getting a Margaritaville blender if you're ever there. A special thanks to my friends who came out to play, you ladies ROCK!**

**Thank you so much for all the wonderful reviews you've written. I appreciate each and every one.**

**Any characters you recognize belong to JE. Except Gayle, She keeps popping up. All mistakes are mine.**

Every mile closer to New Jersey seemed to weigh my heart down just a little bit more. I know I have to go home and straighten out my mess of a life, I just don't want to. What I really want to do is sit in an Adirondack Chair and watch the sun set over the bayou. We were just outside of Lancaster, PA when Cal took my hand. "You okay, Chere?"

I sighed. "I'm all right. I'm just not looking forward to going home. Does that sound weird to you?"

He smiled. "Not at all."

"I sure as hell don't want to go to Grandma Bella's party tomorrow. I'm going to have to face my family sooner or later, though. You're coming with me, right?"

He rubbed his thumb across my hand. "I'll be there, Chere."

The next thing I knew, Cal was waking me up. "We're here."

I looked around. I knew we were in Trenton, but I was expecting him to just take us to my house. "I thought we were going home?"

Cal sighed. "For tonight, you are home. I don't want to take you back to your house in case someone is watching for you. Everyone will know you're home soon enough. Come on, I already got us a room."

Cal brought me in the back door and up to our room. It was a standard hotel room with two beds. I took my suitcase into the bathroom and got ready to go to bed. When I came out of the bathroom, Cal was watching the news. He looked me over and said, "I like that outfit better with the shoes."

I looked down and realized that I was wearing the same Eeyore pajamas that I had on the first night Cal stayed at my house. The only thing missing was the sparkly silver shoes. I climbed into bed with him and laid my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "What's going to happen with us, Cal?"

He tipped my chin up until I was looking into his eyes. "I don't know, Chere, but I would like to find out." He brushed his lips across mine in the gentlest of kisses.

"I want that, too." He kissed me again. This time he ran his hand through my hair as he deepened the kiss. When we broke apart, we were both breathing heavily.

He put my head back on his chest and said, "Go to sleep, Chere, we have a big day tomorrow."

The next morning, I woke up still snuggled in Cal's arms. I was feeling peaceful. This was where I wanted to be.

After we checked out, we went to Rangeman to talk to Ranger and Stephanie. They told us that Pauly has been laying low ever since he was arrested. They were concerned that he has been trying to locate me. They told me that one of the safe houses in Trenton was available, so Cal and I were going to move in there after the party. Stephanie asked me if I would let them send a couple of extra people to Grandma Bella's party, but I didn't think it was necessary.

The party was in full swing by the time we got there. I introduced Cal to my relatives. When we went into the kitchen to find my mother, Cal said, "I feel like an extra on the set of The Godfather."

I laughed. "Just because Aunt Mary Elizabeth is a retired nun, Uncle Manny is a construction expediter, and Uncle Dominic will only describe himself as being in 'retail'? Or is it because anyone over the age of forty is dressed like they're still in Sicily?"

He laughed and kissed me on top of my head. "Definitely the latter."

We walked into the kitchen where mom and grandma Bella were finishing up the food. They both looked from me to Cal and back again. Neither of them said anything. "Hi, Mama, Hello, Grandma."

My mother was the first to speak. "Mary Catherine, I'm glad you could make it." Wow, I didn't know my mother could be sarcastic. She looked like she was really mad that Cal was still with me. "Cal, it's good to see you again." At least she was still pretending to be polite.

"Mrs. Morelli, the pleasure is mine." Cal was smooth, I'll give him that.

I held up the bags that I brought with us. "Mama, Grandma, I brought you presents from our trip."

My mother opened hers and took out Paul Prudhommes's Louisiana Tastes Cookbook that I got when we went to K-Pauls. She looked at it thoughtfully. "Thank you, Cathy. I'll be sure to look through this." At least she called me Cathy. Maybe there's hope.

She pulled out the jar of Ground Dried Magic Chile that went with the book. I told her, "Some of the recipes call for this and I didn't think you had any." She nodded.

I had the hardest time shopping for a present for Grandma Bella. I love my grandma, but she only cooks Italian, she only wears black dresses, and she's only interested in Trenton and Sicily. I got her a copy of Louisiana Through My Lens. The pictures of the bayou made me think of Cal's house. She thanked me and put it back in the bag.

Cal and I went back outside. I had one more present to deliver. I haven't seen Joey yet, but I'm sure he'll be here even through he's working undercover. He's Grandma Bella's favorite, and he wouldn't miss her party.

Joe POV

I can't believe Cathy brought that goon to Grandma Bella's party. She had to have known that I'd be here. The family will protect her while she's here. I couldn't believe the lecture my mother left on my answering machine about him. She's probably already seen him and will give me the lecture in person before I can leave. At least Cupcake listened to me when I asked her to send the scariest SOB she could think of. This whole situation has gotten out of hand. Pauly's not a bad guy, he just went a little nuts when Cathy left him. I can relate to that. While Cathy was talking to our Great Aunt Mary Elizabeth, I pulled him off to talk to him. "You don't have to be here for the party," I told him. "I can watch her while she's here. Pauly wouldn't show up with the whole family here."

Cal didn't look impressed. "Cathy asked me to come, so I'm here for her. If you're worried about the bill, don't be. I'm still on vacation. I don't go back on the clock until tomorrow."

Implying that I was cheap just pissed me off. "Listen, I am perfectly capable of taking care of her for a few hours, and if I was worried about being able to pay for a guard, I wouldn't have hired you in the first place. I heard Pauly's been spending time with a bartender from Hamilton Township, so I'm sure this will all blow over soon. Pauly will leave her alone and you can crawl back under whatever rock you came out from."

No sooner had the words come out of my mouth when we heard a commotion coming from the other side of the yard. I was wrong about almost everything I just said. We could hear Pauly yelling at Cathy. "You think you can throw me out like some bad calamari? I bet you couldn't wait to get me out of the house so that you could move in that freak you've been fucking, you whore."

Cal signaled that he would go left, and he wanted me to go right. He would get to Cathy first, but now wasn't the time to argue. Cathy started yelling right back at him. "Fuck you, Pauly! Why don't you go back to the whore you knocked up and leave me alone."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Cal moving in on her position. He was staying low, so that Pauly wouldn't spot him. I still couldn't see Cathy or Pauly yet, but I was getting close. Pauly kept yelling, "You belong to me, Cathy. Till death do us part." Oh, fuck. I got him in sight just as he pulled a gun. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he aimed at her. I couldn't get my gun out fast enough, and I still didn't have a clean shot. Before he pulled the trigger, Cal was there. He grabbed Cathy, dragged her to the ground, and got himself between her and Pauly. When the shot rang out, Cal was still reaching for the gun tucked into his pants. Pauly was aiming for a second shot when I fired.

Cathy POV

I was talking to my Aunt Mary Elizabeth when I saw Joe come over and pull Cal to the side. I don't know what they were talking about, but they both looked mad. I was going over there myself when my mother reached me. "Cathy, could you come with me? There's someone I would like you to talk to." I was still about ten feet away when I saw that my mother was leading me towards Pauly. I stopped in my tracks. My mother tried to get us closer together. "Cathy, you owe it to him to hear what he has to say." I can't believe she would do this to me. I turned to her to let her know exactly what I thought when Pauly started yelling.

I should have pretended to listen to him until Cal and Joe could get here, but honestly I never expected him to pull a gun. So much happened at once. Cal was suddenly there, pulling me to the ground under him. I heard two shots, and then nothing. I didn't realize gun fire was so loud. It wasn't until Cal rolled off of me that I saw the blood. After that, it was pandemonium. Joey kept trying to get me to stay still, and I was panicking because I couldn't get to Cal. By the time my brother figured out that I wasn't shot, the paramedics were loading Cal into an ambulance. I raced over and scrambled in to the back before they could get the doors closed.

When we got to the hospital, the nurses told me that I had to go to the waiting room. When I walked out the doors, Stephanie and Ranger were there talking to Louise Malinkowski. I know She and Steph went to high school together. Stephanie took one look at me, covered in blood, dirt and grass and rushed over to help me to a chair.

It seemed like we were in the Emergency Room for hours. The waiting area was slowly filling up with men in black. Joe showed up and tried to get me to go home. Finally I had enough and started screaming at him to leave me alone. Stephanie pulled me into a hug and Ranger took Joe to the side to talk to him. When I calmed down, Steph joined Ranger and Joe who were still deep in conversation. I heard Stephanie say to Joe, "I'm not inclined to make her go anywhere until she can see for herself that the man who was guarding her is alive and recovering." Joe stormed out and left.

Some time later, a man came out to talk to Ranger. He nodded at where Steph and I were sitting and they came to me. He introduced himself as Bobby Brown, the Rangeman medic. "Cal just came out of surgery to remove the bullet. He has a broken rib and they had to remove his spleen. He is expected to make a complete recovery." As soon as he said that, I started to cry and couldn't stop. Bobby continued. "Hey, now. It's going to be okay. Cal is in recovery right now. They'll move him to a room shortly, then you can see him for yourself. He's been asking for you." Bobby got up from where he was kneeling in front of me, and went to talk to some of the other men.

Joe's ex-fiancee Gayle came in with some clean clothes. She and Steph took me to the ladies room to help clean me up. When we came out, Bobby was waiting to take me to Cal's room.


	15. Baby you can drive my car

**Once again, I'd like to thank everyone for the wonderful reviews. Your kind words and encouragement are better than finding The Cure after a weekend of binge drinking with male strippers in Atlantic City (Not that I would know anything about that).**

**Anyway, all characters you recognize belong to JE. All mistakes are mine. I make nothing from this.**

When we got to Cal's room, there were two men stationed outside his door. Bobby assured me that it was a Rangeman standard operating procedure. He told me that Cal would still pretty much be out of it from the surgery and the painkillers they were giving him.

I still wasn't prepared to see him laying in bed with all kinds of tubes and wires attached to him. I immediately went to the side of the bed with the fewest tubes and took his hand. He opened his eyes a little and gave my hand a weak squeeze. "You okay, Chere?"

Here he is in the hospital asking if I'm okay? I'm not the one with a new hole where there shouldn't be one. "Cal, I was so worried about you." I leaned over and kissed him gently. He closed his eyes and seemed to drift back to sleep. I kissed Hobbes and ran my hand over his head and his arm, needing the physical contact to reassure myself that he was here.

Bobby moved the visitors chair to where I was standing. I sat down next to Cal, still holding his hand. Bobby laid a hand on my shoulder. "I'm going to go let some of the other guys visit. If there's anything you or Cal need, just poke your head outside and let one of the men there know." I nodded, not taking my eyes off of Cal.

Stephanie and Ranger were the first to come in. Ranger stood at the foot of the bed watching over Cal. Stephanie went to the other side of the bed, rubbed Hobbes and kissed Cal's cheek. She looked me over. "How are you doing?"

I rested my head on the bed. "I just want to wake up and have this whole day be some kind of bizarre nightmare." She nodded in understanding. Before she left, she told me to call her if there was anything we needed.

More Rangemen came into Cal's room in ones and twos. Sometimes Cal was awake, but mostly he was wiped out due to the pain meds. I stayed by Cal's side the whole day. In the evening, Bobby came back to help Cal stand up and walk around a little. He told us that the doctors were pleased with his progress. He might be able to go home as early as the next day under Bobby's care.

When visiting hours were over, Lester Santos was in the room with us. A nurse came in to shoo us out of the room. Cal asked him to grab his keys. Once Les had the keys Cal asked him, "Could you take Cathy to her mother's house?" He turned to me. "Chere, take care of Charlotte tonight, we can bring her back to Rangeman tomorrow." The look of disbelief on Lester's face was priceless. I kissed Cal and promised to return in the morning.

When we got to my mother's house, Les looked at Cal's car with longing. He said to me, "If you want, you can use this car and I'll take Cal's car back to Rangeman tonight." He looked so hopeful it was almost cute.

I snatched the keys out of his hand. "Not a chance." I thanked Les for the ride to my mother's house and hopped out of the SUV.

My mother must have been waiting for me. As soon as I closed the car door, her front door opened and she stuck her head outside. "Cathy? Come inside and get something to eat."

I walked towards the house and waved goodbye to Lester. When I got inside, my grandmother, and both brothers were sitting in the dining room. My mother came in holding a plate for me. "Cathy, sit down and eat."

I sat and started to pick at the plate in front of me. I turned to my brother. "Is Pauly in Jail?"

Joe looked like he would rather be anywhere but here. "I'm sorry Cathy, he's dead." I dropped the fork I was holding. It clattered to the plate, forgotten.

My mother sat at the table and took my hand. "We'll get through this together, Cathy. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to Stiva's so that you can begin to make arrangements." Stiva's hasn't been Stiva's for years, but it is still the only place to hold a high profile funeral.

"Mama, I will go to Stiva's with you, but tomorrow morning I am going to the hospital to see Cal."

Joey looked at me like I was insane. "Cathy, he's a thug. You can't be serious. I'm sorry he got injured protecting you, but the job is over and you don't need to associate with him anymore."

My mother had to chip in her two cents, too. "Cathy, your husband has been dead for less than a day. What do you think it will look like if you're spending time with that man instead of making proper arrangements for your husband?"

I stood up. "Mama, I'm sorry, but if I recall correctly, he was killed while trying to shoot me. I'm not going to be sorry that I'm alive and he's not. At least now you can tell your precious neighbors that I'm a widow instead of a divorcee." She sucked in a breath. Before she could say anything, I continued. "It may not matter now, but I was divorcing him. You were so set against a divorce in the family, that you brought him here despite my restraining order against him. You brought him here and he tried to kill me." There were tears in her eyes, but she stayed silent. I rounded on my brother. "You didn't help matters, did you? I don't know what you and Cal were fighting about, but if you hadn't pulled him away to yell at him, he would have been with me when mom pulled that stunt. Have you thought about that? You can keep telling yourself that he's a thug, but then why did you hire him to keep me safe? You hired him to protect me, and that's exactly what he did. How can you say that about him when he saved my life?" I turned around and walked out. I really needed some time alone.

I got into Cal's car and drove to my house. I didn't even really take the time to appreciate driving Cal's car. With Pauly gone, I didn't need to worry about moving into a safe house. I thought that I would be hit by memories of Pauly, but all I could think about was Cal. I sat in the living room replaying the last three weeks when there was a knock at my door. My brother Anthony's wife, Angelina stood on my porch. I stepped aside and she came in. I offered her a drink and realized that I didn't even know if there was anything in the house.

We sat in the living room. After a minute, I said to her, "Ang, I don't think I'm the best company right now."

She smiled at me. "Believe me when I say I'd rather be here than at your mother's house. Grandma Bella drives me nuts." After another minute of silence, she said, "Tell me about Cal."

I closed my eyes. "You'd like him, Ang. I guess a lot of people say he's scary because of his size, and the flaming skull tattoo on his forehead only reinforces that image, but he's been so good to me. He's made me feel safe when everything has been going crazy around me. He's smart, and funny, and he cares so much more than he'll ever admit to. He didn't take any of Grandma Bella's crap. He even let me drive his car."

"The car out front?" I nodded. "That's pretty serious. They only guy who ever let me drive his car was Anthony, and his car wasn't half as nice as that one." I laughed. "So, a flaming skull tattoo on his forehead?"

"Yes. You should see it, it's beautiful. The first time I got a look at it, I wanted to touch it."

Angelina smirked. "That's what she said." We both laughed at that. When she stopped laughing, she said, "You know you're not going to be able to hold mama off forever, right?"

"I know, Ang. Once Cal is released from the hospital and back in his apartment, I'll go with her to Stiva's. This is just going to turn into a circus, I know it already."

She got up and I walked her to the door. She hugged me and said, "You gave them both a lot to think about tonight. When I get back there, I'll tell mama that you'll call her once you're free to go to Stiva's, okay?"

I showed her out. By the time she left, I felt drained. I changed into my pajamas and went to the guest room to sleep. When I closed my eyes, I could pretend that Cal was downstairs working on his laptop, keeping me safe.

The next morning, I got to the hospital as soon as they started visiting hours. Cal was sitting up in bed, eating his breakfast. I don't know what it is about hospital food, but his breakfast looked terrible. He took one look at me wearing my dancing Calvin and Hobbes t-shirt and barked out a laugh. I felt terrible when he immediately groaned and held his side, but he assured me that he was fine and really liked the shirt. I handed him the travel mug I brought with me. As soon as he opened it and smelled the chicory, he sighed and leaned back.

I waited until they took his breakfast tray away before I kissed him hello. His color was returning, and he looked much better than he had yesterday. When I pulled away, he tugged my arm until I was sitting on the bed, cuddled up next to him. We were still like that when one of the guards at the door poked his head in. "Cathy, there's someone out here to see you."

I walked out the door to find my mother standing there holding her cake plate. "Mama, what are you doing here?"

"I came to speak with Cal, but these men wouldn't let me go in."

I poked my head back in the door and asked Cal if he was up to a visit from my mom. I promised him that if she got out of line, I would gladly ask the guys at the door to remove her. When he agreed, I opened the door for my mother.

She came inside and set her cake plate on the table next to the bed. Cal acknowledged her with a short, "Mrs. Morelli."

She nodded. "Cal, I'm glad to see that you are doing well, and I wanted to thank you for saving my daughter's life." She lifted the cover to show him the Italian Cream Cake that she must have spent half the night baking. "I made this for you as a small token of my gratitude." She paused. "My daughter and I had some words yesterday, and I wanted you to know that I was wrong to put you both in that situation. I hope you can forgive my behavior." With that, she turned and walked out the door.


End file.
